Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

I share the views expressed by the Senators. The amendment seeks to ensure that home and e-mail addresses and telephone numbers will not be included. That is important.

With regard to the Medical Council, I am apparently going to overrule the Constitution with the Medical Practitioners Bill, such is the power I am giving myself. I have seen some of the correspondence to which Senator Feeney referred and there is no doubt that in the modern era, even without the Internet, people can dispense products such as drugs which can be very dangerous if taken in the wrong circumstances. They are vulnerable and we must ensure that open and transparent processes are in place for the council while not going so far that we aid and abet people in activities which are not helpful. My amendment gives the society the power to protect the security and privacy of individuals when deciding what is to be disclosed.