Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

Serving Members of the Oireachtas may not be members of the council of the society. I have strong opinions on this issue because I regard it as a conflict for a Member of the Oireachtas to be a member of a society. The first duty of a member of a society is to that society, whether that is the Medical Council or any other regulatory body and therefore the Schedule of the Act precludes Members of the Oireachtas from being members.

It is difficult to define patient groups as there are many of them and there is not a single group known as the patients' organisation which could then be written into legislation. The many different groups include Patient Focus, the Patients' Association, the group referred to by the Senator and a number of other groups including that focusing on organ retention. Those representing the wider public interest as opposed to the professional or educational interest have a role to play in these regulatory bodies. It would be the intention to appoint people with a particular perspective which they could bring to regulation which is being done in the public interest. This legislation is a regulation in the public interest and to protect patients and it is also to support the profession by having good and appropriate regulation and high standards of professionalism which is underlined in everything we seek to achieve.