Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

As outlined in the debate on an amendment tabled by Senator Browne on Committee Stage, it is accepted that the public interest should be specifically identified as a distinct constituent of the committee of the council including disciplinary committees. These amendments therefore propose that the council and registration boards should have regard to the requirement for appropriate representation of the public interest when establishing committees, including disciplinary committees. However, rather than be overly prescriptive it is more appropriate that the council should have the power to exercise discretion on the size of the committee as different issues would call for different sized committees. I appreciate the thinking behind Senator Browne's amendment and the amendments I have put forward meet his general concerns. Senators may wish to note that a typographical error exists in amendment No. 20, and therefore I am making a verbal amendment to correct this error by inserting the word "under" between "appointments" and "subsection".