Mary Henry (Independent)

I thought the main objective we were trying to achieve was to set up registers for the protection of the public. Of course I am sympathetic about people and their livelihoods but the protection of the public is important. I have a vested interest in this area. As a medical practitioner, I must be sure of the qualifications of those to whom I refer people. Under the legislation we are allowing for a situation which does not represent an improvement on the current position. Therefore, why bother with what we are doing? There is confusion about this issue.

I recognise that those people who have recently arrived in the State and call themselves "physical therapists" do a useful job, but members of the public believe they are physiotherapists. We know that because during the Second Stage debate many Members pointed out that it is only when members of the public apply to have their fees reimbursed from the VHI or BUPA that they find out that people they were attending were not physiotherapists. I do not believe they are trying to defraud people or do anything awful, but some people with little training, and Senator Glynn in particular has spoken about the charlatans, will take thousands of euro from people. We are perpetuating the opportunity for people to do that by the way we are dealing with this legislation and by saying that in years to come we will introduce some regulation. We should settle matters now.