Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)

I also warmly welcome the announcement of the Minister, Deputy Gormley, on Dingle-Daingean Uí Chúis. As Senator O'Toole has said, this is properrecognition of local democracy. The Minister proposes by way of legislation to ensure that such plebiscites will be honoured in future, which I greatly welcome.

I am not so sure I welcome his announcement about the additional 10,000 hectares to be included in an SAC in the Kenmare River area. I hope people will not be ambushed or taken by surprise and that all the maps associated with it will be made available to people and particularly to landowners. There seems to be confusion in the area. I am sure it will be the Minister's intention to ensure everybody will be properly informed and have due notice to make their arguments on proper scientific grounds in regard to the validity of such a proposal or otherwise.

I endorse the remarks of Senator Fitzgerald regarding the HSE and the crisis in the health service, not least the continuing threat to the community drugs scheme as a result of the failure so far to agree with the pharmacists — although I understand there are some last ditch talks in place because of the pending legal action to be heard tomorrow in the High Court. I hope they will reach fruition in advance of that action and it will not be necessary for any people to suffer. We know the people who would suffer — those most in need. The elderly, sick and infirm would suffer. Concurrently there is a crisis facing final-year pharmacy students, some of whom have been writing to us. They had a right to pre-registration placement, which could now apparently be denied to them unless this issue is solved. That is another serious reason for resolving the matter.

The Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Bill, which was passed by this House and completed Second Stage in the other House, seems to be lying somewhere in abeyance. Is it intended to proceed with its Committee Stage in the other House and if so when? The property services regulatory authority Bill has been long promised. If we had it we would not have had the recent headlines over whatever is going on between some members of the auctioneering profession. We should stress it is only some members of the auctioneering profession because most of them are very dutiful as members of their institute.