asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that the Irish ENT post-graduate training programme based in Dublin has failed to gain accreditation by the Joint Committee on Higher Surgical Training of the Royal College of Surgeons of England; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Post Graduate Training Programme.
5.
I am not aware that the Irish ENT post-graduate training programme has failed to gain accreditation by the Joint Committee on Higher Surgical Training of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. I understand that this matter is still under consideration by the authorities concerned and that it is expected that suitable arrangements can be made as respects this training programme.
I am not trying to be niggling, but it must be nearly two years since I raised this matter before. Is the Minister now saying quite positively that we will have further information in the near future?
At present the bodies concerned, the Federated Dublin Voluntary Hospitals, the Royal Victoria, the Eye and Ear Hospital and St. Vincent's are conferring in order to ensure that the three institutions will be used for training specialists in ENT. They have not come to a conclusion yet. The signs are that they will agree that the three hospitals should be used rather than one.