John Gilroy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Senator van Turnhout's amendment has definite merit. I have worked with the mental health services for nearly 30 years.It is anomalous to preclude a person suffering from major mental illness from the safety of a health care directive. Major, enduring and relapsing mental illnesses are often accompanied by loss of insight by the person suffering from the condition and it is at that very moment when pre-planning by that person is a human rights issue. In all other areas of the mental health services, we try to encourage a collaborative and team approach which includes the patient in decision-making. At a time when the patient is least able to collaborate in his or her own treatment, we preclude him or her from the protection of the directive. I am very interested in hearing the Minister of State's response to Senator van Turnhout's worthy amendment.