Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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470. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 386 of 18 June 2024, if consideration has been given to supporting medical students studying across Europe, particularly in Poland, with a view to them returning to Ireland to start their careers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28178/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Medical workforce planning and ensuring an appropriate pipeline of suitably qualified medical professionals in Ireland is a top priority for the Government.

The HSE Resourcing Strategy was launched in June 2023 and is an action orientated strategy to be delivered by the HSE. It sets out a comprehensive list of actions which aim to meet the current and future needs of the health service. A core element of the strategy involves enhancing the organisation’s capacity to develop, retain and engage the workforce that will ensure a sufficient domestic supply of health care staff for the future.

The HSE has a competitive relocation package which is available to candidates who reside outside of the country and are relocating to Ireland to take up a permanent or temporary post for a minimum of a two-year duration. This support package helps candidates with accommodation, flights, professional registration fees etc. To provide a support platform for prospective candidates, the HSE has also developed a digital platform, the ‘Career Hub’ which offers a ‘One Stop Shop’ and a suite of additional material to support overseas candidates moving from overseas to settle into their life in Ireland.

In relation to doctors who train in Poland and who wish to return to Ireland to start their medical careers, the HSE welcomes their applications and the supports outlined above are available to them.

The Medical Council is the regulatory body for medical doctors in Ireland. The Council has a statutory role in protecting the public by promoting the highest standards of professional conduct and professional education, training, and competence among doctors, as set out in legislation (The Medical Practitioners Act 2007.) This includes responsibility for maintaining the Register of Medical Practitioners, which is the register of all doctors who are legally permitted to carry out medical work in Ireland.

The requirements for graduates of medical school in Poland to obtain automatic recognition of their qualifications to practice in Ireland are the same as the requirements to obtain full qualifications and the right to practice the medical profession in Poland. Those requirements are a medical degree, followed by successful completion of the medical 'LEK' examination, and a “Certificate of Completion of Postgraduate Internship.” To meet the Medical Council requirements, the Internship can be completed in Poland or in Ireland.