Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 116: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she proposes to introduce legislation to remove from the Irish Medical Council its power to prescribe the standards of education and training for specialist medical qualifications; if she proposes in this or some other way to reduce the current lengthy training process for higher and specialist medical qualifications; if she proposes that practitioners applying for the anticipated 2,000 new posts required to provide a consultant delivered rather than a consultant led hospital service will need to have completed the current requirements for recognised higher specialist training before applying for these positions; if not, the location where the applicants for those posts are expected to come from; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2828/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Medical Practitioners Act 2007 provides for specific functions in relation to medical education and training to be assigned to the Medical Council and to the Health Service Executive (HSE). In this context, the Act provides that the Medical Council will work in association with the recognised training bodies regarding the prescribing of standards for specialist medical qualifications. Arrangements for the recruitment of new consultant posts will be a matter, in the first instance, for the HSE.

In the context of the current agreement on a new consultant contract, I will be requesting the HSE to engage with the appropriate bodies including the Public Appointments Service with a view to expediting the training, recruitment and appointment processes for consultants.