Bernard Allen
Question:100 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if he proposes to amend section 37 (2) of the Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Act, 2000. [27367/01]
Written Answers. - Proposed Legislation.
Under the Medical Practitioners Act, 1978, the Medical Council is the body charged with regulating medical registration. Under the Act a person who wishes to become a registered medical practitioner must first obtain a certificate of experience from the body that granted them their primary degree – section 28 (1) of the Act. To obtain a certificate of experience the applicant must have been employed in a training hospital as a medical resident, or intern, for a period specified by the Medical Council. The training hospital must also be approved as such by the council.
Section 37 and the Fourth Schedule of the Medical Practitioners Act, 1978, require that the primary qualification required to qualify for internship must be obtained from an Irish university. Where people do not hold such a primary qualification they cannot be granted the provisional registration which allows them carry out their internship in Ireland.
My Department is currently carrying out a review of the Medical Practitioners Act. Consultations have been widely carried out with many interested groups, including the Medical Council, the training bodies, bodies representing the medical professions and patients. I assure the Deputy that I am already aware of the issue he has raised and that it is being addressed as part of this review.