Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

They are grouped. I will deal with section 10 in a moment but first I will explain section 9. The fees and contracts for each of the service providers traditionally have been negotiated between their representative bodies and the Minister for Health and Children. It is now accepted that the Competition Act 2002 precludes representative bodies and the Minister from entering direct negotiations on payment and contract matters. The purpose of section 10 is to enable Ministers with responsibility for other sectors to apply, with appropriate modification, the provisions that the Minister for Health and Children may apply under section 9 in order to reduce payments for professional health services in their areas. It is envisaged that this section would apply primarily to professional services rendered to the Department of Social and Family Affairs under the optical, dental and audiologist benefit schemes, medical services in the prison service, and veterinary officers providing services to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

The Government has made clear in making these savings that there will be real reductions in the levels of professional fees. We believed it was not in any way equitable, in allocating the burden of the adjustment of current day-to-day expenditure, to single out those public servants who have a pension. It is also important to address professional fees, and the Minister is given ample powers to deal with this under these provisions of the legislation. I have provided in section 9(16) that any regulations made under the section will be laid before each House of the Oireachtas, and either House will have an opportunity to pass a resolution annulling the regulations within 21 days, if it so desires. That gives the Houses ample opportunity to consider the implications of any regulations made under the section.

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