Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

We are back to the argument with regard to whether there should be a governing board. If there is such a board, then it cannot be the case that a committee or sub-committee thereof be allowed to make binding decisions. I fully accept that midwives will make the argument that theirs is a separate profession and for the first time ever this is recognised in the Bill. They will also argue that they should have the right to govern their own profession. However, that is not the structure with which we are dealing in the Bill before the House. As already stated, we may perhaps move past the structure to which I refer in the future. As of now, however, we are not in a position do so. A governing board could not operate if one of its committees or sub-committees could make binding decisions which would tie that board into adopting positions with which it might not agree.

In the context of being able to dissolve a committee, the Deputy and I are here long enough to recognise the fact that it is possible to have extraordinarily good boards and extraordinarily sloppy ones. In the event that the board is not doing the job with which it is charged - and the Deputy and I may disagree on the nature of what will be expected of it - the Minister must have the power to dissolve it. If we had that power in other areas, we might be able to move much more quickly to deal with particular matters. What is outlined in the Bill provides a built-in safeguard that will protect everyone, including the board and the sub-committee in question.

I cannot accept amendments Nos. 20 and 21 for very practical reasons. At the heart of those reasons is the fact that we are obliged to deal with the legislation before us. As I have stated on a number of occasions, in the future we may move past this provision. We will not move past all of the Bill because the remainder of it is quite good. Given the fact that we must deal with the Bill as it stands, I cannot accept the amendments. However, I fully accept what the Deputy is saying.

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