Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)

The maintenance of a comprehensive, accurate and up-to-date register of practitioners is a main function of each registration board and is clearly pivotal to the effective discharge of the role of each board. The registrants also have an important responsibility to keep the relevant board informed of any changes in their registration details. Section 44 specifies a number of detailed responsibilities of both the registrant and the board to ensure that the register of practitioners is correct and remains correct and fully up to date at all times. Section 45 sets down requirements for the publication of the register consistent with the objective of Senator Browne's amendment.

It is considered that these provisions give adequate scope and flexibility to the registration boards to publish the registers as often as required, including on the web, for example. Limiting publication to once a year, as proposed by Senator Henry, would preclude the registration board from providing real time information on its registered practitioners to members of the public. This would be seen to impact on the board's primary objective of protecting the public. In my view, real time information would provide a more up to date version of the register.