Averil Power (Fianna Fail)

I move amendment No. 44:

In page 10, to delete lines 32 to 37.

Perhaps amendments Nos. 43 and 44 should have been taken together because the point is an overall one that the provision in the Bill relating to the registration of teachers seems to be overly prescriptive for primary legislation. In practical terms, it appears to make it impossible for a person to apply for a renewal of registration in circumstances in which he or she is abroad for employment purposes and so on. Under the proposed section 33(2), the council is authorised to make regulations generally. It would be better if these matters were thrashed out in discussions on the regulations. Since the previous amendment concerned the holding of discussions with interest groups, I am sorry I did not ask for the amendments to be discussed together. When debating earlier sections, we discussed the need for people not to be precluded simply because they happened to be abroad when their registrations lapsed. The council should think through the implications properly and not be so prescriptive. It might reach the same conclusions, but not tying the matter down in primary legislation would allow for the implications to be considered first.