Michael McCarthy (Labour)

I welcome the Minister. Generally, this is good legislation which is both long and detailed. It is significant in what it aspires to do. On that note, I concur with previous speakers in regard to the level of consultation. I appreciate it is almost impossible to gain full approval for any legislation, particularly from the groups affected, but for the sake of this legislation and its passage through the House, if there has not been reasonable consultation up to now, perhaps there should be before Committee Stage. We need the goodwill of everybody affected by the Bill.

Section 29 has been referred to by two or three previous speakers. I see no reason members of local authorities should not be considered for appointment to the council. Nobody should be disqualified because of his or her position. There is expertise available among the members of local authorities who could play a valuable role on the council which might benefit from their presence. Their involvement on boards has been mentioned in previous legislation. Obviously, it is the Minister's prerogative to appoint whoever he or she wishes. However, it is important we do not penalise individuals. There could have been a good intake of persons with particular expertise or knowledge following the June local elections but who cannot be considered for membership of the council. Similarly, members of the council who aspire to be members of local authorities cannot do so.

I wish to raise a number of points about the veterinary medicine course in UCD. There are approximately 80 places available per annum for which the number of points required is very high. I do not believe the points system is absolute in selecting the finest candidates. Looking at the entry requirements for the nursing profession in recent years, there is an argument that those with a good bedside manner do not come through the process used, namely, aptitude tests and the points system. Some 80% of entrants to the veterinary medicine course are female.

There is the significant issue of the traditional role of vets as it affects younger women entering the profession, particularly in regard to maternity leave and the fact that vets must contend with large animals. Until now the profession has been male dominated and involves work which I do not believe is appropriate for a young woman. For example, dealing with very large and cross animals is a daunting task. This issue must be examined in the context of the entry qualifications required and the candidates the profession seeks to attract.

There is a very high suicide rate among members of the profession. This is a sensitive topic into which I do not wish to enter too much, although there are data which support this statement. One needs to consider the reasons, including the pressure exerted on vets. Some graduates are working in excess of 78 hours per week, which is criminal. I know it depends on the practice involved, who employs them and their conditions of employment, but there is an issue relating to contracts of employment. It is not fair that persons who slog away for three or four years to get an excellent leaving certificate result, who work hard for the five years in which they are in veterinary college and who work just as hard for a number of years to establish themselves in their profession and earn a reputation that they are sufficiently experienced do not enjoy the fruits of their labour until they are in their 30s. I do not know what the magic solution is to that issue, but providing for an interview as part of the entry requirements for the course might be good.

When they leave college, some graduates do not have practical experience in a number of critical areas, for example, caesarean sections in cattle which I witnessed once. It is a huge task which requires much skill and expertise, yet graduates leave veterinary college without undertaking an internship and are expected to conduct such a major operation. If I owned an animal or was to undertake such a task, I would think there should be a procedure in place whereby graduates would undertake an internship for one year during which they could develop these skills and expertise in order that they would not have to perform such procedures on their own when they leave college. It is unreasonable to expect somebody to be able to perform a procedure requiring such detailed expertise when starting out in the profession.

Students who obtain the MVB here are automatically accredited with the MRCVS. If American students who graduate from UCD want to work in the United Kingdom, they must undergo a host of examinations and assessment. There should be uniformity and consistency. Such students should not be penalised because they are American or some other nationality. If Irish vets are good enough to obtain the MVB and be accredited with the MRCVS, they should be.

Licences for drugs is another highly contentious issue, of which I am sure the Minister is well aware. A meeting was held last night and attended by many interested parties. I was not present but all and sundry were told to get their uncles, aunts, neighbours, parents and so on to lobby politicians on the issue. The Department issues the licences in question.