Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)

Regulation often tends directly or indirectly to reduce competition unless adequate safeguards are put in place to prevent it. There is a substantial body of informed literature in Ireland and elsewhere demonstrating that professional regulation can all too easily result in restrictions with adverse economic impacts. In the Bill the level of lay representation on the council and the individual registration boards is intended to ensure that the work of the council and the boards is open, transparent, accountable and supports competition while ensuring that the public is protected, properly informed and guided. Notwithstanding the significance of this innovation in view of the potential competition impacts of the exercise of the powers of the council and registration boards respectively, the principle set out in the amendment is important.

Following consultation with the Competition Authority I intend to table amendments on Report Stage to provide that the authority should competition-proof the code of professional conduct and ethics in advance of it becoming binding on registrants and that rules of the council and by-laws of registration boards should be made public. Such amendments are intended to address the issue raised by Senator Browne's amendment.