Under the provisions of the Act, the Medical Council – the statutory body with responsibility for the regulation of the profession – may prescribe rules relating to the registration of medical practitioners; rules for the recognition of health care settings in which training may take place; rules relating to the recognition of primary qualifications obtained from EU medical schools for the purposes of internship registration; and rules relating to short term temporary registration. The council must submit its draft rules for the approval of the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, and for laying before the Houses of the Oireachtas.