Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

It would not be possible for the Minister of State to accept the amendment at this stage and I would not recommend him to do so. A Bill is in preparation which will provide for the registration of architects, quantity surveyors and other professions. There are constitutional issues affecting such legislation. Although I did not discuss this with the Minister of State and did not get advice from the Department, I have read the draft of that Bill and there is no control over the word "architect". Anybody can legally call himself or herself an architect, an engineer or a quantity surveyor. The Department of the Environment and Local Government is preparing the legislation.

I recognise that Senator Coghlan has good intentions and is moving in the right direction but on the wrong Bill. Accepting the amendment could delay the Bill considerably. We generally know what chartered accountants are and what their qualifications are. However, this is a separate issue. Amending the Bill could leave it open to constitutional challenge. Even though they do not have the written qualifications, there are people practising with a number of years' experience who might be as good as any chartered accountant. The amendment is not practical. Although it is possible the Minister of State will have a different view, this is an issue for another day.