Francis Noel Duffy (Dublin South West, Green Party)
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1236. To ask the Minister for Health the requirements for the Irish Medical Council to recognise non-EU medical internships, that is, doctors living here that have obtained their medical qualifications from outside of the EU that are unable to receive further medical training despite currently practicing here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21684/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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In order to access specialist training, a medical practitioner must be registered in the Trainee Specialist Division of the Medical Council’s register. The Medical Practitioners Act 2007 provides that medical practitioners who hold qualifications from non-EEA countries are eligible to be registered in the Trainee Specialist Division of the Register if they have passed the Council’s Pre-Registration Examination System (PRES) or are exempt from the PRES in line with legislation, have an approved training post and have been granted in a third country a document which, in the opinion of the Council, is at least the equivalent of a certificate of experience (internship).

The Medical Council recognises internships in a number of countries as equivalent to Irish internships. These include Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sudan and Malaysia. However internships from non-EEA countries outside of these countries are not currently recognised by the Council.

The Medical Practitioners Act is being amended by the Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Bill 2019 to remove the requirement to hold the equivalence of the certificate of experience for entry to the Trainee Specialist Division. This Bill has been passed by the Dáil and is currently before Seanad Éireann. Once the Act is amended, doctors seeking registration on this division will be required to hold a training post approved by the Medical Council for specialist training, as well as meeting all the other requirements for registration.