Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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564. To ask the Minister for Health if, in view of the fact that the maternity and infant care scheme last had a full review in 1994 when the reported costs of the general practitioner element of this combined care scheme was listed as nearly €17 million annually, when the scheme will be reviewed again in respect of its adherence to the current evidence base on antenatal care and value for money [17966/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Maternity and Infant Care Scheme provides an agreed programme of care, free of charge, to an expectant mother arising out of her pregnancy and to her new born baby for six weeks after birth. All expectant mothers who are ordinarily resident in Ireland are eligible to avail of services under the scheme. Women who choose to avail of these services are under the care of both a general practitioner of their choice and a hospital obstetrician. Care can be obtained from any general practitioner who has a contract for the provision of services under the scheme.

The scheme provides for 12 ante-natal visits – six to the general practitioner and six to the chosen maternity unit/hospital in the case of a first pregnancy. In subsequent pregnancies, there are seven visits to the general practitioner and five to the maternity unit/hospital. There are also two post-natal visits to the general practitioner – at two weeks for the baby and at six weeks for mother and baby. There are currently no plans by my Department to carry out a review of the scheme.

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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565. To ask the Minister for Health if a review will be conducted of the CPD obligations of general practitioners that are providing combined care under the maternity and infant care scheme in respect of the current evidence base on antenatal care [17967/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Medical Council is designated as the regulatory body for all registered medical practitioners under the Medical Practitioners Act 2007. It has a statutory role in protecting the public by promoting the highest professional standards among medical practitioners practising in the Republic of Ireland.

The Medical Council has advised that all doctors are responsible for maintaining professional competence relevant to their scope of practice. Practitioners will be enrolled in Continuous Professional Development (CPD) activities as defined by the training body for that specialty and will be required to submit evidence of their participation in educational activities.

The Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) operates a professional competence scheme for General Practitioners (GPs) under arrangement with the Medical Council. Under this arrangement the ICGP is required to undertake an annual review of 3% of its enrolees to ascertain that they are completing and recording Continuous Professional Development (CPD) relevant to the professional competence requirements and provides advice accordingly to the Council.

Under the MPA 2007 any doctor who refuses to co-operate, fails to co-operate or ceases to co-operate with requirements under the Act to participate in Professional Competence Schemes will be the subject of a complaint to the Medical Council's Preliminary Proceedings Committee.