Noel Coonan (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 31:

In page 67, to delete lines 13 and 14.

The legislation here appears to be loosely constructed although I accept that the Minister is speaking in terms of minor medical procedures and minor surgery. However, in human terms, a heart bypass operation was considered major surgery some years ago, whereas it is now considered minor surgery. If one is concerned about animal welfare and a situation prevails where remedies can be left up to individual veterinary surgeons, to the extent that they oversee them, the provisions set out in section 91(2) appear to allow them to do anything. They are very loose and the purpose of these amendments is to be more definite about what a veterinary nurse can and cannot do. This aspect of the Bill needs to be tightened up.