Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I am disappointed the Minister of State cannot do so. I speak not only as somebody who has been lobbied by people personally interested but as somebody who has used the services of a chiropractor and who knows many others who have done so. The numbers who gravitate to the services of chiropractors in Ireland must be significant because chiropractors are mushrooming all over the country. I welcome that fact but they must be encouraged to develop in an environment of best regulation and highest standards. Public confidence is hugely important and it is not satisfactory that the public must base its judgment as to the appropriateness of a service on the latest report, be it a good report or, God forbid, a damaging report. We must ensure those who present themselves as chiropractors offer the highest standards of qualification applying within the profession in terms of the services provided.

I have noted section 4(2) of the legislation which was referred to by the Minister of State. It states: "After consulting the Council, the Minister may, by regulation, designate for the purposes of this Act any health or social care profession not already designated under subsection (1)". This is the area that has been specified by the Minister of State.

I am a resident living close to the Border which in reality is open to me and my fellow community members who traverse back and forth for commerce, social life and cultural activities and a variety of services, including chiropractic services. Perhaps people will not travel greater distances, but this is unfair and unacceptable for residents in Border communities. To us, the Border is not so much an impediment in going back and forth but a reality in many other ways. Those who choose to go to a chiropractor north of the Border do so with greater guarantees and assurance in respect of the service received, as opposed to those of us who may choose to avail of the service offered by a practitioner on this side of the Border, simply because of the registration requirement, the due recognition given and the setting of the highest possible standards for a health or social care profession.

Health is one of the areas designated for co-operation. There is already in place a raft of co-operative initiatives on health care delivery with the six Northern counties. Surely anomalies such as this should not continue. One would expect this issue to be addressed more effectively. While I have heard the Minister of State's comments, I press him to confirm that chiropracty will come under section 4(2) of the Bill. The House deserves this assurance at least, but I still urge the Minister of State to reconsider the inclusion of chiropractors in the list of designated professions in section 4(1).

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