Ulick Burke (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Bill and support all that has been said on both sides of the House. One aspect of registration is very welcome. As the Leas-Chathaoirleach may well know, we have what are termed "gifted persons" or "quacks", or the seventh sons of seventh sons, all of whom reputedly have the ability to cure pain or to heal, or whom people believe to have such ability. When all conventional professionals have failed to ease a problem, some people resort to that group of people, who according to many people have given them relief. That group of practitioners is not on the list included in the Bill. Does section 90 provide for this "gifted group", for want of a better term, to be included, provided its members stand up to scrutiny by some professional body which examines their qualifications?

It is important that the gifted group would be given the opportunity to be included by the council in the registration and that the group would then fulfil all the requirements with which the other professional groups must comply. I know that many people have referred to "rogues". I am not referring to people who operate on a profiteering basis. Those of whom I speak are genuinely committed in their own right to relief of pain and are traditionally successful, in many people's minds, with regard to the treatments they provide. There are such people, bone-setters being one example. Traditionally in Ireland they have had great success. They are not called on so much now because one can go to an accident and emergency unit and——