Geraldine Feeney (Fianna Fail)

There must be a telepathic connection between me and Senator O'Toole, because I was in my office packing my bag to go home when I realised I had never heard a man speak so much sense. I picked up my bag and ran to the Chamber to support him in his comments, particularly with regard to other professional bodies and how they are run, and how new legislation has changed the whole outlook of those bodies. First, however, I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Curran. I am delighted to have a few minutes to speak on the Bill, which is long awaited but is excellent legislation. I am looking forward to every Stage as it goes through the House.

The reason I came here was that in a former life I sat on the Medical Council and on the nursing board, An Bord Altranais. Both of these, at the time I sat on them in 1998-99, were made up mainly of members of the profession. Lay representation on the nursing board was two out of 26, while on the Medical Council it was four out of 24. I am on record as saying in the House that where there is a dominance of professionals on a body, it is not run professionally or properly. As a lay person I have heard it said, and perhaps I have said it myself, that bodies are referred to as old boys' clubs and as being "sewn up" and that unions have a special position. However, new systems such as the one introduced for accountants by the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, when she was Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, are excellent. Accountants whom I know have grasped the system and it is working effectively. They welcome it and are proud they were the first profession to come in under the new system.

I was on the Medical Council when the talk was that there was to be a new Medical Practitioners Act to replace the one that was almost 30 years old, and the doctors were worried that we were throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The lay majority must be retained. Senator O'Toole and I were on the same side when this was going through and there were not too many people in the medical profession who were happy with us because they were not in favour of it. However, it is now working effectively and the council has majority lay representation.

I came here to support the point made by Senator O'Toole when he said we must have members of the profession on the board. We need to have auctioneers and estate agents sitting on the board. When I was on these medical boards, I could not have worked on fitness to practise issues without the expertise of the doctors and nurses in showing me, the lay person, how practice should be conducted. This is the point Senator O'Toole was making. We must have professionals. There is no point in bringing in fabulous legislation such as this if we are to leave them out. I emphasise to the Minister that this must be considered. To me it is a must. We are blindfolded without professionals because no one knows better how their practice works. However, I would suggest we bring in other disciplines around them. The Medical Council is a good example of how this can be done. There are representatives of medical related disciplines who are not doctors, including nurses, pharmacists, chiropodists and dietitians. There are many people associated with the area of property, including those of Senator Regan's profession, which is the legal profession, as well as architects and others, who could join the board. Senator O'Toole's point was that we must have auctioneers on the board and I agree with that.

I look forward to Committee and Report Stages. I am sure the amendments will be fruitful. There is a great deal of interest in this Bill. We have all called for legislation in this area. The profession should not be afraid of the legislation. It should take encouragement from other professions that have been changed that are now satisfied with how their boards are run.