Vol. 529 No. 1
745 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason doctors who were recruited under the recent recruitment drive in Asia are being placed on a three year rotation to secure exemptions from the Irish Medical Council's assessment examination whilst non-consultant hospital doctors already working in the system were not offered these structured three year rotation schemes. [2459/01]
The recent recruitment initiative in India and Pakistan was primarily concerned with resolving difficulties which had arisen with anaesthetic non-consultant hospital doctor vacancies. These doctors are employed under a sponsorship programme and, by virtue of this scheme, are exempt from the Medical Council's assessment examination. This is not the first time the sponsorship system has been used. Three year contracts are being offered by health service employers provided these doctors fulfill the training requirements.
