David Norris (Independent)

——number one, which relates to one of my principal reasons for wanting to speak on the Bill, which I welcome. I congratulate the leader of the Minister of State's party, Deputy Harney, for choosing the poisoned chalice of medicine. It was an extraordinarily courageous act because the job of the Minister for Health and Children is probably one of the most difficult in the Government. I hope she will make a difference and I believe she will.

I regret that the Bill before the House does not address the development of quackery throughout the country. In the past year, there has been a series of horrendous cases of people promising wildly unrealistic cures for cancer to the vulnerable. Sick people have been offered medicines and various forms of treatment which do not have any impact. Some of them have been persuaded to leave the course of chemotherapy or radiation therapy on which they had embarked. Patients and their families will grasp at any straw of hope in such circumstances. This practice should be stamped out because it is utter cruelty. I am amazed that such people have not been disbarred by the medical profession. I am surprised that they have not been prosecuted. It may be that it is difficult to persuade grieving people to take on an additional burden, but I think the State has a duty of care and guardianship to those who suffer from the extraordinarily cruel actions of others.

One could understand the practice if it involved people who genuinely believe they have a cure and are keen to try it out on a couple of people. However, when they continue to pursue it and to charge exorbitant sums for medicines that are patent rubbish after they have received evidence that they do not work it is one of the cruellest activities in which so-called medics can engage. They dishonour the noble profession of medicine.

I would also like to turn to the question of chartered physiotherapists. I am glad the Leader of the House, Senator O'Rourke, raised this matter, but there are several other worrying issues to which I do not think she referred. They concern the confusion between physical therapists and physiotherapists. I mean no disrespect to some practitioners of physical therapy, who I am sure may be good. The difficulty arises principally because, in the United Kingdom and many other European jurisdictions, the title "physical therapist" is synonymous with "physiotherapist". To practise as the former, one must have certifications, qualifications and so forth. However, in this country that situation does not obtain. I am sure that there are good physical therapists who would welcome a process of registration. It is necessary that the Bill review the matter, if necessary by amendment, since serious consequences result from the confusion.

Having just passed my 60th birthday, I place myself in the vulnerable category of the elderly. People, including the elderly, can easily be confused, leading to a situation where they go for treatment — they may be living on a pension — under the illusion that a course of treatment provided by a physical therapist is regarded by the insuring bodies in the same light as a physiotherapist and that they will be reimbursed by the VHI, BUPA or whoever. However, that is not the case. Vulnerable elderly people take a course of treatment that has not been assessed professionally and find, in addition, that they will not be reimbursed. That is a great pity.

Although I represent the graduates of Dublin University, I am less worried about the question of university qualifications. In nursing and so on, there may now be a little too much emphasis on university and academic matters. I was an academic for a while, and I do not denigrate that, but nursing is a caring profession, and experience, motivation and personality are just as important. One can over-academicise matters.

The Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists makes the point in a position paper that there are differences between physiotherapy and physical therapy, and this continues the confusion. I ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, to examine this aspect of the legislation with a view to addressing the matter. She should also bear in mind that physiotherapists are not being snobbish or elitist. They say at the end of their submission that they would be very happy to work under a proper arrangement with their colleagues in physical therapy.

I welcome the Bill. I wish that it went further by attacking the quacks. I look forward to a vigorous assault on their noxious practices from the Department. I thank Senator Brian Hayes for his courtesy in allowing me to speak.