Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

I move amendment No. 1:

In page 9, between lines 26 and 27, to insert the following:

"(2) The collective citation "the Health Acts 1947 to 2007" shall include section 57(9).".

Amendments Nos. 1 and 55 are being discussed together. On Committee Stage, I indicated I would bring forward an amendment to the Medical Practitioners Bill to take account of the new provisions on protected disclosures which were included in the Health Bill. The first in this group of two amendments is included as a consequence to my proposed amendment to section 57 to ensure a citation of the Health Acts will include the new provision in section 57(9).

The new sections on protected disclosure inserted in the Health Act 2004 include a reference to section 45 of the Medical Practitioners Act 1978 which deals with an application for an inquiry on fitness to practice. As the Medical Practitioners Act 1978 is to be repealed by this Bill, it is technically necessary to make provision for the new replacement provisions under section 57 of the Bill under which a complaint may be made to be referenced in the Health Act as a protected disclosure. This is purely a technical matter to take account of the repeal of old provisions and their replacement with the new provisions in this Bill.

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