Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to report these final amendments to the House. The Bill contains important patient safety measures and I know from the earlier Dáil and Seanad debates that there is strong support across the House for this legislation and a common desire to support its progression. The Bill makes significant changes to the five health profession regulatory Acts, particularly in the areas of fitness to practise and registration, and is keenly awaited by stakeholders.

I propose to take amendments Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, 8 to 10, inclusive, 20 to 22, inclusive, 28 to 30, inclusive, 35, 37 to 45, inclusive, 53 and 54 together. These are minor typographical and drafting errors which were identified during the Bill's progress through the Seanad. I appreciate that this is a large number of amendments but the Bill introduces complex changes across multiple Acts. Deputies will agree that it is important to be as thorough as possible and to take the opportunity to make corrections where needed.

This group of amendments do not make any substantive changes to the Bill. They include: the correction of a drafting error in the Nursing and Midwives Act 2011, which makes reference to the wrong section; removal of a reference to a section in the Medical Practitioners Act 2007 which is incorrect; correction of a minor drafting error in the Bill which relates to the internal numbering of section 71A of the Medicinal Practitioners Act 2007; and correction of the spelling of the word "specialty". Several sections of the Bill are also being renumbered following the addition of sections to the end of the Dentists Act 1985, the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005, the Pharmacy Act 2007 and the Medical Practitioners Act 2007 by the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 which was enacted in March this year.

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