Tánaiste and Minister for Health Mary Harney has announced plans to reform the regulations of the medical profession, to ensure all practitioners are properly qualified and competent to practise.
Announcing the draft heads of a new Medical Practitioners Bill today, Ms Harney said it was the first time in nearly 30 years that there had been a total review and modernisation of the statutory regulation of medical practitioners.
Minister for Health Mary Harney
She is inviting public submissions on the proposed legislation by September 15 th.
The Bill will update the way medical practitioners are registered by the Medical Council under 1978 legislation.
"The draft legislation is clear that the object of the Medical Council is to protect the public. The need for doctors to continually keep abreast of new developments, the rights of patients to be kept informed, and the expectations of the public have all greatly increased since the 1978 Act was passed," Ms Harney said.
"The balance between self-regulation and public accountability needs to be adjusted to reflect these requirements."
The new Medical Council will have 25 members, including seven members of the public who are not medical practitioners. Seven members will be elected by the medical profession and five others will be nominated by medical schools. Four will be nominated by professional and other bodies and the final two will be nominated by the Minister for Health.
Ms Harney said the main objective of the new legislation is to provide for a "modern, efficient, transparent and accountable system for the regulation of the medical profession, which will satisfy the public and the profession that all medical practitioners are appropriately qualified and competent to practise in a safe manner on an ongoing basis".
"This legislation is designed to support the Medical Council in the discharge of its functions for many years ahead."
She said she aimed to bring the Bill before the Oireachtas in the autumn "with a view to full debate and enactment as soon as possible".
Labour Party health spokeswoman Liz McManus said the Bill was "long overdue".
However, she said she believed the public interest would be best served by having more members of the general public represented on the Medical Council.
"While dealing with malpractice is the central work of the Medical Council, we must also remember that there are a whole range of issues that must come under its remit. These include: competence assurance, ongoing training, and ensuring best practice and high standards across the profession from medical student to senior hospital consultant.
"Therefore this long-promised legislation needs to be progressed as a priority," she said.
The Irish Patients' Association said it welcomed the Bill and encouraged the public to make submissions.
Chairman of the organisation Stephen McMahon said: "Patients need this bill to enable continuity of safe care.
"Doctors need this bill to demonstrate that they work to high standards and are accountable, The public need this bill to enable them to trust the system and be protected. from bad practice."