Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State's response but I wish to put on record that there are people who believe that the Mental Health Act is being used as an excuse to exclude the advance health care directives from the Bill. They feel that the deletion of sections 59 and 60 should allow for that to be addressed. An election is pending and legislation has been coming through the Houses at a fast pace but at the same time there are concerns that the change might not happen and this issue will not be addressed until further down the road. That is the reason I am being asked to raise the matter with the Minister of State. If sections 59 and 60 are being deleted, why can we not put the measure into this Bill to copperfasten it? If it is the Minister of State's belief that it needs to be addressed then it should be included in the Bill. I will not labour the point but I have been asked to raise it.