Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

These proposed changes to the Bill are not appropriate given that we are acting on advice given by the Attorney General's office. The advice is that some technical amendments are required to strengthen the transitional provisions of the Act which will allow for the nomination and election processes provided for in the Act regarding a new Medical Council to take place as early as possible in the New Year, following which the other provisions in the Act will take effect on a phased basis. I am anxious there should be an orderly hand-over from the outgoing Medical Council to the new one and that there should be an orderly phased implementation of the Act in general.

Having carefully considered the advice of the Office of the Attorney General, I propose that immediate corrective action is taken at this time by way of primary legislation because of the importance of the Act for both the medical profession and the protection of the public. It is very much in the public interest that the necessary amendments are made as a matter of urgency. The proposed amendments are not appropriate given I am acting on advice given by the Attorney General of the need to strengthen the transitional provisions of the Act and to allow for the implementation of the Act on a phased basis. It is especially important that the nomination and election processes under the Act get under way as quickly as possible in 2008.