Written answers

Tuesday, 20 March 2007

Department of Health and Children

Proposed Legislation

11:00 pm

Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 467: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if the Medical Practitioners Bill will radically change and alter local health services or if they can be downgraded or abolished; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10166/07]

Photo of Mary HarneyMary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Medical Practitioners Bill 2007 is not concerned with changing, altering, downgrading or abolishing local health services. The Bill provides for a modern, efficient, transparent and accountable system for 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.

Contrary to some misreadings of the Bill, no sweeping new powers are given to the Minister for Health and Children of the day over a reformed and modernised Medical Council. The power given to the Minister to issue policy directions to the Council explicitly excludes the areas of professional conduct and ethics, complaints, inquiries and sanctions. In addition, the Bill provides that nothing in policy directions to be given by the Minister is to be construed to prevent the Council from, or to limit the Council in, performing its functions.

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