Results 14,641-14,660 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Seanad: Veterinary Practice Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (20 Apr 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I am aware that Senator McCarthy raised this issue on Committee Stage when he outlined his concern about the current wording of the section. I have indicated that it is designed to ensure the public is not misled as a result of a registered person displaying, for example, a title or qualification which he or she does not possess on the signage of his or her premises. However, if a person...

Seanad: Veterinary Practice Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (20 Apr 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I hope the Senator will accept my self-explanatory "No" to this amendment. I am being fair in increasing the members available to the council. I am not in a position to accept the amendment.

Seanad: Veterinary Practice Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (20 Apr 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I have evaluated this amendment and as the Senator is aware, we made quite a number of changes concerning evidence and a person's entitlement to know of what he or she is accused. I have given the fitness to practise committee the flexibility to call upon the complainant to give direct evidence, where appropriate. The council will determine whether it is appropriate that this should be done....

Seanad: Veterinary Practice Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (20 Apr 2005)

Mary Coughlan: By being so prescriptive, we would remove people who may have an indictable offence that does not affect their fitness to practise as vets. I gave the example of a person who was convicted of drink driving. Should this person be deregistered as a vet? Indictable offences that affect a person's fitness to practise as a vet will, of course, be treated differently. We have to be fair and say...

Seanad: Veterinary Practice Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (20 Apr 2005)

Mary Coughlan: There is a definition of "minor" in the Bill. Equally, we have carried out considerable work, which I agree was the right route to take, regarding the work of a veterinary nurse under the direction or in the presence of a veterinary practitioner. On that basis, we are allowing a new type of profession to develop. We are not saying that a veterinary nurse can carry out a major procedure. The...

Seanad: Veterinary Practice Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (20 Apr 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Senators will recall that on Committee Stage it was agreed to remove all ministerial controls over pension aspects of the council or the Veterinary Nurses Board of Ireland. Accordingly, it is no longer appropriate that the regulatory power provided in section 102 covers superannuation. The amendment will delete this reference.

Seanad: Veterinary Practice Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (20 Apr 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Following the debate on this issue on Committee Stage, I thought many people's concerns had been met. I also understand that the council has indicated it is happy with amendments that have already been made. Regarding amendments Nos. 34 and 36, the concerns expressed by the Senators have been substantially addressed by the amendments we introduced on Committee Stage. According to the legal...

Seanad: Veterinary Practice Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (20 Apr 2005)

Mary Coughlan: This amendment refers to premises owned or occupied by the owner of an animal being attended to by the registered person. I have already provided for this principle in the case of farms. It would not be appropriate to extend it to other premises. Regarding pet animals, the usual approach is to bring them to the vet and I would not like to encourage a trend in the opposite direction. I draw...

Seanad: Veterinary Practice Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (20 Apr 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The legal advice available to me is that it would not be possible to make provision for a joint application, as suggested by the amendment. However, it will be possible for veterinary practices to make private contractual arrangements among themselves, enabling a single applicant, in effect, to make an application on behalf of a practice. Equally, and things may change as they are evolving...

Seanad: Veterinary Practice Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (20 Apr 2005)

Mary Coughlan: A consequence of the amendment would be to exclude the possibility of veterinary nurses applying on their own behalf to register veterinary premises. We must have a balance between on the one hand, the established profession of practitioners and, on the other hand, nurses. In the case of veterinary nurses, there is an opportunity for them to register in their own right. As nurses will carry...

Seanad: Veterinary Practice Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (20 Apr 2005)

Mary Coughlan: There is also complementary work, such as grooming, for which a veterinary nurse would be allowed to register. Under the amendment, he or she would not be able to do certain things unless under direction. I do not wish to prevent veterinary nurses from registering although I appreciate from where the Senator is coming in that people cannot simply stick up signs and claim they are registered....

Seanad: Veterinary Practice Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (20 Apr 2005)

Mary Coughlan: We threw in 75 bones recently. Every now and then we need a bit of craic when discussing legislation. The easiest place to find a copy is on the wall as it will always be there, whereas if it were in a drawer it would never be found. In my previous portfolio Senator McCarthy and I agreed on the introduction of good legislation with regard to access to birth certificates. It can now be done...

Seanad: Veterinary Practice Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (20 Apr 2005)

Mary Coughlan: If Senator McCarthy is stuck for a birth certificate, he does not have to travel to Dublin but can get one closer to home. He should not feel he is ever under pressure when getting an original. We are not speaking about a copy of one's qualifications. The first action everyone takes after receiving their qualifications is to place them on a wall to show how great they are.

Seanad: Veterinary Practice Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (20 Apr 2005)

Mary Coughlan: This is not a problem. It must be an original, otherwise there would be problems. I would prefer an original on the wall but, in the spirit of co-operation, we will provide that a copy from the council will suffice. The Senators need not panic. Is that fair?

Seanad: Veterinary Practice Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (20 Apr 2005)

Mary Coughlan: I do my best.

Seanad: Veterinary Practice Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (20 Apr 2005)

Mary Coughlan: We must examine whether an amendment is necessary. If so, we will deal with it in the Dáil and bring it back to this House. If not, we could do it administratively with the council when it has expressed a view.

Seanad: Veterinary Practice Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (20 Apr 2005)

Mary Coughlan: The substance of this amendment relates to the next one, in which context I will address Senator Henry's concern. She is referring to obtaining a search warrant to gain access to a veterinary premises. This section relates to granting certificates of suitability whereas the Senator's substantive concern is malpractice, which will be dealt with in the next amendment. It is a matter for the...

Seanad: Veterinary Practice Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (20 Apr 2005)

Mary Coughlan: This is a technical amendment to remove brackets.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (19 Apr 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Payment to the person named will be issued within the next ten days.

Written Answers — Farm Retirement Scheme: Farm Retirement Scheme (19 Apr 2005)

Mary Coughlan: Details of the number of participants who entered the 1994 scheme of early retirement from farming, which closed to new applicants on 31 December 1999, and the current scheme introduced in November 2000, are set out in the table below for each of the years 1997 to 2004. Year ended 1994-99 Scheme 2000-2006 Scheme 31 December 1997 1,796 0 31 December 1998 1,305 0 31 December 1999...