Senator presents the Opticians (Amendment) Bill, 2002
A Bill to amend the Opticians Act, 1956 was presented by Senator Mary O'Rourke on the 24th December, 2002. This bill proposes to deregulate the sale of simple reading glasses, to re-title ophthalmic opticians as optometrists, to ensure that the registration of opticians is clearly in accordance with EU requirements, to update monetary penalties and to remove the absolute prohibition on treatment and prescription or administration of drugs by opticians.
A copy of the Bill, the explanatory and financial memorandum and the 1956 Act can be purchased at a reasonable cost from the Government Bookshop, Sun Alliance House, Molesworth Street, Dublin, 2 Tel: 01-6476879. This Bill needs to be read in conjunction with the Act so it is necessary to obtain both documents to have a full understanding of the situation.