Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

The maintenance of a comprehensive, accurate and up-to-date register of practitioners which is accessible to the general public is crucial to the effective discharge of the role of each registration board. Amendment No. 21 takes account of the proposals by Senators McCarthy and Henry on Committee Stage that the Bill should provide for access to the register on the Internet and for its publication on an annual basis. The amendment also address the proposals set out in Report Stage amendments which Senators have tabled.

Amendment No. 21 is broad in providing that the register can be published by electronic or other means. It will be open to a registration board to publish its register on the Internet and not to restrict it to this medium alone. In addition, by providing that a registration board must publish its register at intervals not greater than 12 months, the amendment ensures a register must be published at least once a year and can, if appropriate, be published at a shorter interval. I do not, therefore, propose to accept amendments Nos. 22 and 23.