Vol. 547 No. 1
469 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a statement on the issues raised with him by a group (details supplied); and the proposals he will be making to address the situation raised by this group. [1066/02]
Under the Medical Practitioners Act, 1978, the Medical Council is the independent authority charged with responsibility for the registration of medical practitioners. The aim of the Medical Council is to protect the public through appropriate regulation of the medical profession. The council pursues this objective by regulating access to the register of medical practitioners. Non-consultant hospital doctors are doctors in training and the Medical Council must satisfy itself that such doctors are suitably qualified before allowing them be fully registered.
As the Deputy will be aware, I am carrying out a review of the Medical Practitioners Act with a view to updating it to meet the requirements of today's health service. As part of this review, consultations have been carried out with a number of bodies, including the non-EU graduates committee of the Irish Medical Organisation. I assure the Deputy that the concerns expressed by the committee will be borne in mind in the process of drafting amendments to the Act.
