Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

I wish I had the ability to listen to a Minister reading out a one-page answer about a Government amendment and take it all in, but I cannot. The lack of briefing notes means that I am failing in my job on behalf of the electorate.

I compliment Senator Minihan who informed us on Tuesday that pharmacists in the North are able to prescribe. That information was not given to us beforehand, although it changes the nature of the Bill somewhat. I have a suspicion that the Bill is already out of date. I also suspect that by the time it goes through the Dáil in the new year, we will see major amendments tabled to it again. Consequently, the legislation will be back before this House.

The Bill is an important one, however, and there are some tricky aspects to it. For example, the sale of drugs on the Internet is an awkward matter to which there is no easy solution. The Minister of State might take on board some of our amendments in order to tighten up on that area. He should also consider including in the Bill a provision for dental care for post-primary students. There is a degree of ambiguity regarding children between the ages of 12 and 17 or 18 in the case of orthodontics in particular. That is normally when children get braces, and many parents find themselves either unable to make an appointment with an orthodontist or having to pay massive sums running to thousands of euro for their teenage child to have them fitted. There may be scope in this Bill to introduce an amendment to extend coverage from primary to post-primary level. That might overcome that issue, as recommended by the relevant sub-committee of the Committee on Health and Children, which dealt with orthodontics. It would make Government policy consistent.