Minister for Mental Health and Government Chief Whip, Mary Butler TD, has welcomed the restoration of the Mental Health Bill 2024 to the Oireachtas legislative programme.
The move means that the legislation will proceed to consideration at Committee Stage in the Dáil in the coming weeks, following its completion of Second Stage last September.
The Waterford Minister told WLR News she looks forward to further positive debate from all sides and the passage of the Bill through the Houses.
Minister Butler said: "I’m very happy to be able to continue the work of the last number of years to progress this vitally important Bill. We need to enact this legislation in order to modernise mental health legislation and to put in place the necessary safeguards to ensure the rights of people with mental health difficulties are protected in the decades to come.
“The Bill will also benefit all people who access a wide range of mental health services by introducing, for the first time, a comprehensive system of registration and regulation of community mental health services, including all community CAMHS."
The Mental Health Bill 2024, which is designed to replace the Mental Health Act 2011, is a complex and lengthy piece of legislation and officials are finalising a series of amendments ahead of Committee Stage to ensure the legislation is as robust as possible.
Minister Butler concluded: "The enactment of this Bill has been a longstanding priority for me and for the Government, and I was delighted to bring the Bill to Second Stage last year, where there was a positive debate on its provisions. It was also an honour to sit at the Cabinet table this week when the Government made the decision to put this legislation back on the Dáil order paper. I am looking forward to working with colleagues in the Dáil to progress the Bill through the remaining stages in the coming weeks."
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