SEANAD REPORT:A QUESTION mark hung over the experience and competence of many junior doctors, Dr Liam Twomey (FG) said. This was something that had been ignored. It had not been dealt with by the medical colleges or the Department of Health, and not by the Minister. A doctor had been struck off by the Medical Council because he had "more or less made up his CV" and had been working as a surgeon doctor in an Irish hospital. There should be an urgent debate on the competence of certain doctors which, he felt, was having a detrimental effect on patient care.

Leading members of the soldiers’ representative body, PDforra had been warned that the association would be disbanded if it had contacts with the 24/7 public service alliance which was planning a protest over pay cuts, Maurice Cummins (FG) said.

David Norris (Ind) asked acting Seanad leader Dan Boyle to check if it was true that certain conservative religious interests had hired a public relations firm and that misinformation was being spread in relation to proposed civil partnership legislation. It was apparently being suggested that photographers would be prosecuted if they refused to photograph same-sex weddings.

Ronan Mullen (Ind) said if he was a photographer and did not want to provide a service, he believed he would have a right to dissociate. “ I don’t think my conscience should be coerced in a manner like that,” he said.

It was important to acknowledge that many property repossession orders granted by the courts were not enforced, Minister of State for Finance Martin Mansergh said.

Speaking in the debate on the Nama business plan, Dr Mansergh said the Government shared the concerns about mortgage problems. However, the rate of repossession here had always been lower than in the US or the UK.

Eugene Regan (FG) claimed Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan was denigrating parliamentary debate on Nama. The Minister had stated protracted debate on the legislation could delay the transfer of loans.

“When sands are shifting, bank share prices are falling and the assumptions underlying the legislation are being called into question, this is a diversionary tactic by the Minister for Finance.”