asked the Minister for Health the progress which he has made in alleviating the distress being caused to naturalised Irish doctors by the failure of the Irish Medical Council to treat their requests for registration in a reasonable manner.
Written Answers. - Registration of Doctors.
98.
The Medical Council is an independent statutory body established under the provisions of section 6 of the Medical Practitioners Act, 1978. The council is statutorily obliged to establish and maintain the general register of medical practitioners and to satisfy itself as to the adequacy of the qualifications and fitness to practise of persons applying for entry to the register. I understand that the council have recently made rules under section 27 (2) (d) of the Act providing for the assessment and, where appropriate, the full registration of doctors in the category to which the Deputy refers. I further understand that arrangements to implement these rules are being made by the council.