I move that the Bill be now read a Second Time. This Bill is short and uncontroversial and is designed to prolong the life of the General Nursing Council after the normal time for expiry of the council, namely, the 31st December. It is brought about by the fact that it is proposed to introduce legislation to deal with the reorganisation of nurses in the very near future. If the legislation is enacted by the Oireachtas, it will then be necessary to replace the General Nursing Council by another body. I am introducing this Bill with the concurrence of the General Nursing Council in order to save them the expense and trouble of having another election which might become unnecessary. I do not think that it would be proper at this juncture to discuss the whole question of nursing in the country, because the House will have an opportunity of doing that early in the new year, in the next session. I ask the House, consequently, to give this Bill a Second Reading and, if possible, take all the remaining stages to-day.
Nurses Registration Bill, 1948—Second Stage.
I wish to oppose this Bill on grounds of general principle. In accordance with the explanatory memorandum issued by the Minister, there should be an election in the near future, and the Minister states that proposals are under consideration to reorganise the central control of nursing. We are aware in this House, and I am aware as an ordinary citizen who read the debates in this House for a long period, that the fact that proposals are under consideration for the introduction of a Bill does not mean that those proposals will be brought into effect in an ordinary reasonable time. This Bill provides that the council now in office will have their period of office extended until such date as the Minister for Health may, by Order, decide.
I had hoped that the Minister would have spent a little more time introducing the Bill but, as I recollect having read some days ago, representatives of the General Nursing Council discussed the matter with the Minister and his representatives and pointed out the unnecessary expense and work entailed in holding an election. I want it to be clear that members of this General Nursing Council, whose term of office expires very soon, discussed this matter with the Minister, and pointed out the unnecessary expense and work entailed in holding an election, members who, in the event of certain proposals receiving statutory sanction, would hold office for a short period only. I think that there is a most objectionable principle involved— that this Nursing Council whose period of office is about to expire come along to the Minister and say:—"We are going to end our term of office in a short period. You have certain proposals under consideration. It would be very expensive to appoint a new Nursing Council. Keep us on until such time as the new legislation goes through." This House may stand over that if they like. I cannot prevent the House standing over it, but at least I can as a Deputy object to that procedure as being undemocratic and entirely wrong.
Even if the nurses' organisation want it? Will not the expense be on the membership?
It does not matter who wants it. It is the same as if Deputy Briscoe and the members of the Dublin Corporation were to go and say to the Minister for Local Government: "Our term of office expires in December. It would be very expensive to hold an election for the Dublin Corporation. Keep us in office until such time as the Dáil passes new legislation."
Was not that done with regard to the Dublin Corporation?
I do not care when it was done. I say that the procedure is entirely undemocratic and wrong. The Minister has not told us what expense would be involved in holding this election. Can the Minister say now what expense would be involved? Is it £100 or £1,000? Will the expense of the election be so much that we are prepared to throw over democratic principles and ideas? Since I came into the House I made it perfectly clear that I will oppose all Bills of this nature. I may be a voice crying in the wilderness, as I often am, but I may achieve the same success as another voice crying in the wilderness achieved many years ago. I could imagine the Minister coming in here and putting up to us, on the grounds of expense and on the principle that the period will be very short, a proposal that we should give him that power. But when, in the explanatory memorandum, he says that the General Nursing Council themselves have pointed this out, and have asked him to defer the election, I say that the thing is entirely wrong. As far as I am concerned, I am going to oppose the Second Reading of this Bill.
We have no objection to the Bill or to the Minister getting all stages of it to-day.
Having listened to Deputy Cowan, I appreciate his difficulties in this matter in regard to the expense involved. I would not have thought that he would be particularly interested in doing so. I would have thought that he would be more interested in the principle than in anything else. I should not imagine that the question of the degree of expense would have meant much to him if he was particularly interested in the principle behind the Bill.
This Bill is obviously a non-controversial one in spite of the statements made by the Deputy. It is merely an attempt to assist a voluntary body which gets its funds from nurses. I am quite certain the Deputy will agree with me that we should do our best to protect members of the community, such as nurses, who do not come by their money very easily. They should be given every opportunity to use that money to the best advantage. The purpose of the Bill is to ask the House to extend the life of the General Nursing Council in anticipation of legislation which will be brought before the Dáil early in the new year. I gave that undertaking in my opening statement, and I repeat it for the benefit of the Deputy, who appears to be suspicious of my intentions in that regard. I can assure him that he will have a full opportunity of discussing this matter in the new year, and I think that his suspicions should be allayed in that respect.
Does the Deputy wish to be recorded as dissenting?
Yes.