Work on the preparation of a new medical practitioners Act is currently under way. This process has involved extensive consultations with interested parties and I expect to be in a position to bring forward draft heads of the Bill later this year. The functioning of the Medical Council's Fitness to Practice Committee will be addressed in the new legislation.
The Medical Council has made significant progress towards the introduction of competency standards for Irish doctors. The council has recently appointed a Director of Competence Assurance. He will work with the Medical Council, the professional training bodies and an external reviewer in drawing up a structure which is scheduled to come into force in the next few years. A structure is needed because it is clearly important that doctors are able to demonstrate that competence is maintained, particularly to the public. I understand that the detail will be developed in close consultation with the key stakeholders, including doctors and their representatives, and they will be engaged in both a formal and informal way in developing the competency assessment structures.
