Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 March 2018
616. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if the Medical Council excluded doctors trained in Nigeria from availing of further training here; if so, the reason therefor; when the Medical Practitioners Act 2017 will be amended to allow Nigerian doctors to further their training here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12594/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraEntry to the Trainee Specialist Division of the Medical Council Register is set out in the Medical Practitioners Act, 2007. This Act provides that non-EEA doctors who hold qualifications from non-EEA countries are registered in the Trainee Specialist Division of the Medical Council’s Register if they have passed the Council’s Pre-Registration Examination System (PRES) or are exempt from the PRES because they hold a higher qualification, have an approved training post and have been granted in a third country a document which, in the opinion of the Medical Council is at least the equivalent of a Certificate of Experience. Nigerian internships are not recognised by the Medical Council as equivalent to Irish internships.
It is my intention to amend the Medical Practitioners Act to remove the requirement to hold the equivalence of the Certificate of Experience for entry to the Trainee Specialist Division of the Register. This amendment will be provided for in a Regulated Health Professions (Amendment) Bill, which is currently being drafted. This will mean that entry to the Trainee Specialist Division for non-EEA doctors who qualified in non-EEA countries will be by way of the Pre-Registration Examination System (PRES) [unless an applicant is exempted from sitting the PRES in line with legislation], and the offer of a specialist training post by the HSE in a recognised training programme.
The Bill is currently being drafted by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel. The current timeframe is to publish the Bill in 2018, subject to Government approval and no major issues arising. Once drafted and published, the Bill will then go through the various parliamentary stages in both Houses of the Oireachtas.
