Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 March 2023
291. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Health the position regarding citizens from outside the European Union who fail the Dental Council’s registration exam twice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15866/23]
View answerThe Dental Council has advised that it obliges any dentist from any country outside the EU (but excluding those countries with whom the Dental Council has a reciprocal recognition agreement) to sit its examination. This examination is set at the level of a graduating Irish dentist and it is mandatory for these applicants to pass the examination to practise in Ireland. Candidates have two attempts to pass the first part (which is mainly theoretical with one clinical test) and three attempts to pass the second part (which is a clinical test). Candidates must pass the first stage to progress to the second stage.
If a candidate fails to pass either part in the requisite number of attempts they fail the examination and there is no other pathway to registration. It is worth noting that a failure to pass means that the applicant is unable to demonstrate the have the competencies that the Dental Council requires of dentists graduating from the Irish dental schools to practise dentistry safely in Ireland.
This process is important to ensure patients receive care from an appropriately qualified dentist.
