Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

We must allow a balance between both nursing and veterinary practice. It was on this basis that we changed the terms "under the direction of" and "in the presence of". The phrase "in the presence of a veterinary practitioner" refers to when particular procedures are carried out. The term "under the direction of" could refer to an administrative matter or to stitching or some minor procedure. If the Bill was to say "under the direction of" and "under the supervision of", then the vet would always have to be present with the nurse.

As almost all of those involved in the profession of veterinary nurse are women, the nurse would never have the freedom to do certain things which she is more than capable of doing without the supervision of a veterinary practitioner. We have aimed to achieve the balance. There is a lot to be said for giving some freedom to nursing practitioners, particularly as they have particular skills. It is similar to the situation that obtains in respect of doctors who possess all the skills but who sometimes do not wish to perform certain procedures. A doctor is hardly ever asked to stitch a wound and often prefers a nurse to do it. There must be a balance between the two professions. This is the first time recognition is being given to veterinary nurses.

Many people are interested in pursuing this profession, which complements the work of the veterinary practitioner. In reply to Senator McCarthy, this is the reason I did not wish to include supervision because this would tie them down completely and they would require to be constantly supervised. In my view, the phrase "with the direction of" the veterinary practitioner is preferable. The vet will be familiar with what people can and cannot do, both legislatively and practically. They should be allowed to have the freedom afforded under the direction of a veterinary practitioner.

There is a little confusion about the other issue. There is nothing to stop a farmer employing a veterinary nurse but the nurse is only allowed carry out certain procedures because, under this legislation, other procedures would be outside the ambit because the vet would be required to supervise or give direction. Veterinary nurses carry out procedures in the small animal practice but it would be rare for them to carry out procedures on farm animals. I wonder whether it would be a useful employment for a veterinary nurse to work in the farming sector. There is nothing to say, however, that it cannot be done, as long as it is within the ambit of this legislation.

There has been some confusion about what a person can do in an emergency as opposed to a routine situation. Normal animal husbandry is not being tied up in this legislation because this would be impractical. We are trying to strike a balance between normal, day-to-day farm work and what needs to be done on a professional basis.

The issue of X-rays also caused me some angst. The Department received further advice from the university faculty. MRI scans are usually done in a hospital. There are occasions when scans are provided by farm relief services, for example, and they would need to be excluded as a consequence if this was included in radiological equipment. It was in order to provide that flexibility that this has been introduced and as a result of advice from the dean of the faculty.