Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank all the Senators who contributed and welcome their broad support for the legislation. We will deal with some of the points raised in more detail on Committee Stage.

Senator Feighan welcomed the Bill, although he did suggest that section 12 was perhaps too restrictive. It is designed to achieve a balance by facilitating optometrists in terms of being able to examine for specific problems and use drugs in that process, while at the same time stopping short of treatment or a diagnosis of an eye disease or condition. It is carefully constructed to achieve this balance.

Senator Glynn welcomed the legislation. I know he was in discussion with a number of organisations that communicated their concerns to him. We have consulted with organisations in both disciplines and feel we have achieved the correct balance.

Senator Henry primarily spoke about her concern about the extension of the use of drugs. This Bill does not extend the use of drugs and it does not change the parent legislation. Amendments to the Medicinal Regulations 1996 will facilitate the utilisation of the three drugs. This will happen almost as soon as the Bill is passed by the Oireachtas.

Drugs are used in diagnosis to ensure that the best possible examination can be carried out to gain information that might not otherwise be readily obtained. Cyclopentolate hydrochloride is a cycloplegic that acts on the muscle of the eye. It is used in making certain assessments of the eye and in promoting patient comfort. Tropicamide is used to facilitate a routine examination of the eye, achieved by dilating the pupil. Oxyburprocaine hydrochloride is a topical anaesthetic that produces surface anaesthesia within two minutes and its effect lasts for 20 to 30 minutes. Those are the drugs that will be facilitated in the context of an amendment to medicinal regulations.

Senator Henry continually referred to people getting the impression that a full examination of the eye will take place. I do not think that is a fair reflection of what will happen or what is intended to happen. The Bill places a statutory obligation on optometrists, when they detect a problem, to immediately tell a person to seek further medical assistance from a medical practitioner or a consultant ophthalmologist. One could argue the Bill brings in extra protections in the form of these statutory obligations on optometrists. Under the Act, it would be wrong to give the impression that one is doing something more than is actually being done. I disagree with Senator Henry on this issue.