Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 November 2024
994. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if an application for registration made to the Irish Medical Council (details supplied) will be expedited and approved; the timeframe for such applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43921/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraDoctors whose qualifications do not entitle them to automatic recognition under the EU Directive 2005/36/EC, must pass or be exempt from the pre-registration exam, the PRES, if applying for General registration. Exemptions from the PRES can be granted to applicants who have undertaken an internship which the Council recognises to be the equivalent of an Irish internship (COE route) or who hold a higher qualification which is recognised by the Council for the purpose of granting an exemption.
With regards to the specific individual concerned, I am advised that the doctor applied for registration as a non-EU qualified doctor via the COE route in July 2024. The COE route receives the highest volume of applications and has seen an increase of over 20% in the past 12 months which has impacted on the turnaround times. The current assessment times for the COE route are approximately 37 weeks, to bring an application to an “eligible for registration” status. The Medical Council continuously reviews its processes to identify efficiencies and every effort is being made to reduce these timeframes.
It is appreciated that this is a considerable timeframe and in order to expedite applications for doctors who have an offer of employment, the Medical Council, in collaboration with the HSE, has established an Urgent Application Corridor (UAC). An application can be considered through the UAC once the HSE confirms the offer of employment and for correctly presented applications (i.e. all supporting documentation provided) the turnaround times are 3-4 weeks. The Medical Council has also implemented the roll-out of the UAC on a pilot basis with private hospitals.
