Regulation of laser clinics on the cards

The Tánaiste will introduce legislation to deal with the mushrooming of unlicensed cosmetic surgery and laser clinics.

Ms Harney said considerable progress had been made on the legislation which will also give the Medical Council the authority to intervene on behalf of patients.

Currently they can only respond if they receive a specific complaint. Ms Harney acknowledged there was no legislation on the licensing of private clinics and there were "vulnerable categories of people" who assumed the word "doctor" meant that the person was a registered practitioner.

She also warned that people seeking cosmetic surgery "should endeavour to seek the services of reputable institutions" and should establish the level of post-operative medical support available to them.

Labour's health spokeswoman Ms Liz McManus raised the matter. She referred to the comments of the Medical Council president that there was "dangerous stuff going on".

She said: "Ireland has become a magnet for companies selling laser equipment, in many cases to people who have little or no training in how to use it" and this was because the Irish market unlike other countries, was unregulated.

Dr Jerry Cowley (Ind, Mayo) was aware of two cases which had resulted in deaths. He asked what steps the Minister was taking to address the issue.

Ms Harney, who met the Medical Council to discuss its concerns, agreed it was unacceptable that a person could set up a clinic without authorisation.