Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

The last Bill mentioned by the Deputy is due to be introduced during the year. The Pharmacy (No. 1) Bill, to provide for fitness to practise regulations and so forth, covers the removal of restrictions on pharmacists educated in other EEA countries from managing or supervising a pharmacy in this country that is less than three years old. The Bill covers issues relating to the European Union, EEA countries, the pharmacy review group and the fitness to practise rules and should be before the House in this session. The heads are completed and the Bill is almost drafted. The second Bill was to provide for regulatory services and other issues in the pharmacy review group report. I do not know if the two are being combined, and I do not have a date for the second Bill. Most of the big issues, however, are dealt with in the first Bill, although probably not all of them.

The Moriarty tribunal report is a report to the House. There is no Minister responsible for answering questions on it.

See this speech in context