Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Bacik for raising this important issue. I also take this opportunity to wish the Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, well. As I speak, tributes are being paid to him in the Dáil. From my perspective, having worked with him as a Minister of State over the past 12 months, he has always been very positive and inclusive. He did not have issues with people having different views. He was very supportive of me and my portfolio as Minister of State with responsibility for disability issues. I wish him, his wife, Fionnuala, and all his family well for the future.

This is an opportunity to update the House on the position relating to amendments to the Medical Practitioners Act 2007 regarding specialist medical training in Ireland and entry to the trainee specialist division of the Medical Council register by doctors from non-European Economic Area, EEA, countries. The Medical Practitioners Act 2007 provides that nationals of 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 in line with legislation, have an approved training post and have been granted in a third country a document which, in the opinion of the council, is at least the equivalent of a certificate of experience.

The certificate of experience is the certificate received on completion of an Irish internship. The Medical Council recognises internships in a number of countries as equivalent to Irish internships. These include Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sudan and Malaysia. However, internships from non-EEA countries outside of those countries are not currently recognised by the council, and I am aware that this creates difficulties for doctors from those countries who wish to access specialist training programmes in Ireland. Given these difficulties, the Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris, has decided to remove the certificate of experience as a requirement for registration in the trainee specialist division. This will mean, in effect, that entry to the trainee specialist division for doctors who obtained their qualification in a non-EEA country will be by way of the pre-registration examination system - unless, as previously mentioned, the 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 requirement to hold a document considered by the Medical Council to be at least the equivalent of a certificate of experience will no longer be a prerequisite.

The amendment will be introduced by a Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, a complex legislative measure which is currently being drafted by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel in liaison with my officials. The drafting of the Bill was delayed due to the transposition of the modernised professional qualifications directive, which was transposed on 17 January 2017. The current timeframe is to publish the Bill by the end of 2017, but this is subject to no major issues arising. It is important to mention, however, that Ireland is committed to a national policy of health worker self-sufficiency and has signed up to implementing the World Health Organization, WHO, global code of practice on international recruitment of health personnel. The code establishes and promotes voluntary practices for the ethical international recruitment of health personnel and the strengthening of health systems. Article 3.6 of the code recommends that member states "strive to create a sustainable health workforce and work towards establishing effective planning, education and training, and retention strategies that will reduce their need to recruit migrant health personnel".