Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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260. To ask the Minister for Health if he will examine an issue (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45451/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently not in a position to answer PQs due to industrial action. It is hoped that normal services will resume soon. In the meantime, this Department will continue to refer PQs to HSE for their direct reply as soon as possible.

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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261. To ask the Minister for Health what actions he has taken to shorten and streamline the vetting process for fully qualified medical doctors from the UK post-Brexit with the IMC; given that many doctors are waiting in excess of two months for their affiliation to be able to work with the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45492/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Medical Council is the statutory agency responsible for the registration and regulation of doctors in Ireland. In order to protect patients, it has a responsibility to ensure that all doctors registered to practise medicine in Ireland meet the requirements to practise, as set out in its legislation. The Medical Practitioners Act 2007 (as amended) makes provision for doctors to access the register depending on their qualifications.

Prior to Brexit, UK qualified doctors were entitled to “Automatic Recognition” of their qualifications under Directive 2005/36/EC. Following Brexit, the EU Commission decided to continue to recognise UK qualifications which are listed in Annex V of this EU Directive, once the qualification was issued before 1^stJanuary 2021. Doctors qualified in the UK since 1^stJanuary 2021, however, are no longer entitled to automatic recognition under EU law.

For doctors who have qualified in the UK since 1^stJanuary 2021, the following applies:

UK-qualified doctors who have completed their internship/Foundation Year 1 in the UK and are issued a Certificate of Experience/Internship, or who have a listed higher qualification in addition to an internship of at least twelve months which comprises of a minimum of two months in medicine in general and two months of surgery in general, OR have completed a minimum of two years in accredited training programme may be exempt from the Medical Council’s registration exam, the PRES, for the purposes of General Registration.

For UK-qualified doctors seeking Specialist Registration, the Council extended recognition of Certificates of Completion of Training (“CCTs”) under Section 47(1)(f) of the Medical Practitioner’s Act. From an applicant perspective this essentially operates in a similar way to “Automatic Recognition” in that they need only provide the same documentation as Pre-Brexit.

I am advised that the current turnaround time for UK applications have been reduced from 12 weeks to 6 – 8 weeks. The Medical Council has assured me that it is actively identifying processes that need to be improved and identifying solutions by way of undertaking an in-depth analysis of all the applications routes, reviewing application data, current processes and challenges. The Council appreciates the importance of providing a prompt registration service for both doctors and the wider health service and is fully committed to further reducing turnaround times. My Department will continue to engage with the Council in support of measures being taken to reduce application processing times.