Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

Those people who could make a complaint will have a medical condition and people in such circumstances are invariably embarrassed about coming forward. This area is not as straightforward as other areas of life where one can air one's grievances. People may not be physically able to make a complaint or may find it awkward to reveal aspects of their medical histories. The purpose of the amendment is simply to ensure that no one who reads section 27 will mistakenly conclude that the council does not have a role in the complaints procedure. The amendment spells out that its role will be to receive complaints. While this is referred to in greater detail in section 51(3), the problem is that anyone reading section 27 could get the wrong impression.