Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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479. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 746 of 5 March 2024, if his office or Department have had consultation (details supplied) in relation to examining the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2023; what these consultations would consist of; when they will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37530/24]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2023, was before Second Stage in the Dáil on 27 February 2024.

No consultation between officials in my Department and the Deputies is required before the Amendment Bill can proceed to Committee Stage.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Government's Mental Health Bill was at an advanced stage of drafting when the Amendment Bill was before Second Stage earlier this year.

Officials in my Department considered the contents of the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2023 in the drafting of the Government’s Mental Health Bill and were satisfied that the aims of the Amendment Bill are addressed in the Government’s Bill and that no consultation was required to further reflect the aims of the Amendment Bill in the Government's Bill.

The Government’s position on the Amendment Bill then and now is that the provisions of the Bill did not achieve its stated aim, which was to extend the Commission’s regulatory function to regulate community CAMH services.

It is the Government’s position that its Mental Health Bill sets out a much more robust legal framework for the regulation of all community mental health services for adults and for children, and includes adequate enforcement measures to address any issues of non-compliance by services.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Government’s Mental Health Bill was published on 31 July last and completed Second Stage in the Dáil last week. The Bill will now proceed to Committee Stage. If the Deputy is of the view that the aims of the 2023 Amendment Bill are not adequately addressed by the Government’s Bill, amendments can be proposed at Committee Stage and will be given due consideration by Government.