Liam Quaide

The use of the term "mental disorder" is archaic and pathologising. Language reflects reality but also shapes it, and the term "mental disorder" is reductive medicalising. It has the potential to objectify people with mental health difficulties. We have had a long history of that and stigmatisation. This is something we need to move away from, not only in our concrete actions but also in the langu…

I move amendment No. 3: In page 16, line 32, to delete “ “mental disorder” ” and substitute “ “mental health difficulties” ”.

I move amendment No. 5: In page 18, line 5, to delete “mental disorder or other”.

Along with my colleagues, I express my concern here about the late-stage doubling of the timeframe for involuntary treatment from 21 to 42 days in a Government amendment submitted on the deadline for Committee Stage amendments. At the moment we are discussing the necessity of a capacity assessment after 21 days. However, the 21 days itself is fundamentally problematic. The whole point of this Bill…

I clarify my remarks about the late-stage amendments. What I was referring to was over the time span of this Bill, which is a number of years, it was a late-stage amendment that was very dramatically impactful. It really altered much of this Bill. It took people by surprise and did not give sufficient time for consultation with interest groups outside of psychiatry. It is obvious that this came fr…

I move amendment No. 34: In page 47, line 13, to delete “a mental disorder” and substitute “mental health difficulties”.

I move amendment No. 36: In page 60, to delete line 21. This amendment relates to the changes in respect of involuntary treatment. I have spoken already about my concerns about the doubling of the timeframe for that from 21 to 42 days at a very late stage of the legislative process. The expanded criteria for involuntary treatment is also very concerning. While detaining somebody on the basis tha…

I move amendment No. 39: In page 63, line 6, to delete “a mental disorder” and substitute “mental health difficulties”.

I move amendment No. 40: In page 63, to delete lines 10 and 11 and substitute the following: “(iii) the life of the person, or that of another person, is at risk, or the health of the person, or that of another person, is at risk of immediate and serious harm,”

I move amendment No. 41: In page 63, to delete lines 13 to 23

I move amendment No. 42: In page 63, line 34, to delete “or further treatment period”.

I move amendment No. 43: In page 64, line 1, to delete “or further treatment period”.

I move amendment No. 44: In page 64, lines 4 and 5, to delete “or further treatment period”

I move amendment No. 45: In page 64, line 7, to delete “or any further treatment period”

I move amendment No. 48: In page 64, line 31, to delete “and any further treatment period”.

I move amendment No. 49: In page 64, line 39, to delete “a mental disorder” and substitute “mental health difficulties”.

I echo Deputy Clarke's concerns about this. The Bill provides no specific safeguards or statutory provisions governing the use of chemical restraint on persons who are subject to involuntary detention and treatment. It does not even really acknowledge the reality of chemical restraint. Chemical restraint happens quite often. It involves administering powerful sedatives to people who are in extreme…

I move amendment No. 52: In page 69, between lines 6 and 7, to insert the following: “Chemical restraint 57. (1) In this section, “chemical restraint” means the use of medication to control or modify a person’s behaviour when no medically identified condition is being treated, or where the treatment is not necessary for the condition or the intended effect of the drug is to sedate the person fo…

I move amendment No. 60: In page 75, between lines 20 and 21, to insert the following: “(4) Where a child is involuntarily admitted to a registered adult acute mental health centre pursuant to an involuntary admission order under section 66 that this period shall be no longer than 72 hours.”. The significant decrease in the number of admissions of children to adult psychiatric wards is very wel…

I commend the Labour Party on its motion. We fully support it. It has been an honour to meet in recent weeks with Safeguarding Ireland, Care Champions, and the Irish Association of Social Workers to discuss adult safeguarding and systemic problems within our nursing home sector and other care facilities. I look forward to engaging with Inclusion Ireland, Sage Advocacy and others to this end in the…

As the Minister knows, many settlements in east Cork were devastated by flooding during Storm Babet in October 2023. I met with the Midleton and East Cork Flood Protection Group last Friday, alongside my colleague, Councillor Eamonn Horgan. There is growing concern and frustration within the community about the rate of progress of flood relief works. We have had major delays with the installation …

There have been some exciting developments in east Cork rail over the past 16 years. The return of the Midleton to Cork line in 2009 has been hugely progressive for the region and the number of passengers is increasing year on year. Ten-minute frequencies from 2026 onwards will be a game changer as will the proposed new stations for Water Rock and Carrigtwohill west. Cobh, Carrigtwohill, Glounthau…

I support my colleagues Deputies Coppinger, O'Reilly and Wall in respect of amendment No. 1. I appeal to the Minister, in the spirit of meaningful collaboration on the Bill, to take on their very reasonable arguments, which have been very well articulated. If clear unfairness is identified in a Bill, it is very important that it is acknowledged and that there is not a default Government position o…

The scale of the crisis in primary care services for young people is so serious that the HSE is avoiding parliamentary questions about it. Only after 11 weeks did I receive a response from the HSE Dublin and north-east region on its psychology waiting lists, and no wonder. The longest waiting time there involves a child who was initially referred to disability services an incredible nine years ago…

-----that sees staffing of essential services as a cost, not as an investment.