Mary Henry (Independent)

Like Senator Browne, I support the amendment. I would not have agreed to go on the visit to Barcelona if I had known nurse prescribing was being included in this Bill. I only discovered it from one sentence in the Minister's speech on Second Stage. In fact, I might have missed it only a friend of mine, who is a nurse, told me it would arise in this Bill. She was better informed about the legislation being introduced than me, and I am a Member of the House. I am sure there is a good reason for that but I do not like the minimising of this change in powers to prescribe being brought forward in what seems a casual way because of the unfortunate way it is perceived by the public.

One member of the public who I thought would have been a little more thoughtful about these matters said to me: "Why should nurses not prescribe? Why should they not be able to give you four to six antibiotics if that is what you want?" I would much prefer they were giving morphine to terminally-ill patients, which is the type of area where such involvement will really be needed, rather than the general public thinking that the regulations regarding prescribing will become loose. It will not become loose under this legislation. However, the impression is being given that there was little discussion by Members about the philosophy behind it. The reasons for allowing nurse prescribing are extremely good. It was recommended a long time ago in Ms Justice Carroll's report on the nursing profession.

However, like Senator Browne, I am concerned that this came into the Bill quite unexpectedly. It was not in the Bill as drafted and I nearly missed the reference to it in the Minister's speech on Second Stage. Now we are faced with a considerable amount of legislation being introduced as amendments to an important Bill.