Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 170: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on the increasing number of complaints being made to the Medical Council regarding doctors; her further views on the concerns that regulation is proactive and not reactive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35475/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Complaints about medical practitioners are obviously of concern to me. I understand that a total of 189 complaints were made to the Medical Council in the first six months of this year, compared with 174 in the first six months of 2005.

I am currently preparing a new Medical Practitioners Bill. The proposed legislation is intended to be both proactive and reactive. The main objective of the Bill is to provide for a modern, efficient, transparent and accountable system for the regulation of the medical profession, which will satisfy the public and the profession that all medical practitioners are appropriately qualified and competent to practise in a safe manner on an ongoing basis.