Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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359. To ask the Minister for Health the agreements that exist between Ireland and the United Kingdom for the mutual recognition of decisions made by the Irish Medical Council and the General Medical Council in respect of members of the medical profession who have been struck off the register in either jurisdiction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25031/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Internal Market System (‘IMI’) is an EU alert system, coordinated by the EU Commission, whereby competent authorities within the EU share information in respect of any decision restricting or prohibiting a medical practitioner’s registration or license to practice. The system was formalised through the European Union (Recognition of qualifications) Regulations 2017.

In addition to this the General Medical Council (GMC) in the UK provides the Medical Council with a ‘decisions circular’ whereby all disciplinary decisions of the Medical Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal in the UK are disclosed. If the Medical Council becomes aware of a disciplinary sanction of a medical practitioner in the UK who is also on the Medical Council's register the Council will seek additional information and review the circumstances which may lead to a complaint being made to the Medical Council's Preliminary Proceedings Committee and possibly a Fitness to Practise inquiry, depending on the facts, in accordance with the Medical Practitioners Act 2007.

It is the current practice in the Medical Council that both the IMI alert system is checked and the GMC ‘decisions circular’ is reviewed when a medical practitioner applies for registration with the Medical Council.

The Medical Council has a strong working relationship with the GMC and both organisations are working closely together to ensure there will be robust information sharing protocols in place following Brexit to protect patients in both jurisdictions.