Mr. Richard Brown:

The Deputy is absolutely correct. That is the scenario. On the surface it seems rather perverse that one can jump in a car and get an X-ray at a chiropractor in the North without any problems, as one can here at present. Under the proposals, however, the situation would be dramatically different. I was particularly keen to outline the educational institutions in the UK because many of the members of the CAI are graduates of UK institutions.

They have undergone exactly the same level of training as chiropractors who remained in the UK to practise, with the rights that they have to practise in terms of ionising radiation and practice generally. The proposals would create quite a significant differential in the competency and scope of practice in exercising the competency between chiropractors practising in Ireland and chiropractors in the United Kingdom, who, essentially, have undergone exactly the same training from exactly the same institutions.