Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I take Deputy Connolly's point but the continuous professional development piece is not related to that case and would not have had an impact.

In response to Deputy Shortall's point, she can divide the House if she wants. She is a seasoned and experienced Member of Parliament and has been a Minister of State at the Department of Health herself. She is fully aware that there is no chance that any Minister could accept a detailed amendment such as this on Report Stage, coming in from a professional body, without going through very significant legislative work, drafting and all manner of things. While I fully accept what has been said in raising the point, I absolutely refute the idea that the Deputy believes for one moment that any Minister, herself included when she was standing here, would ever accept an amendment in this context. However, I fully accept the intent. It is my intention to progress this and to come to the House with legislation that is fit for purpose and compliant with EU law, which the amendment before the House is not.

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