Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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602. To ask the Minister for Health if he will tighten controls on medical professionals who are connected to adverse incidents but who leave the State before formal investigations and possible sanctions can be imposed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46815/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Under the Medical Practitioners Act 2007 all medical practitioners who wish to practice medicine in Ireland must register with the Medical Council. Under this legislation the Medical Council is the regulatory body responsible for ensuring that medical practitioners on the Register are fit to practice. The Council handles complaints relating to a medical practitioner's fitness to practise medicine. Once a complaint has been made against a registered medical practitioner that practitioner cannot voluntarily withdraw from the Register until the complaint has been investigated. The complaint will be investigated whether the practitioners is in the jurisdiction or not.

The Medical Council advises that, where adverse events occur and it is appropriate, it is important that complaints are made in a timely manner to the Council. Under the legislation the Council has a wide range of powers, depending on the final outcome of the Fitness to Practice process. Sanctions available to Council include attaching conditions to the practitioners registration, suspension of registration or cancellation of registration. Cancellation of registration means that the medical practitioner would no longer be able to practise medicine in the State.