Fine Gael health spokesman Mr Gay Mitchell has today criticised the Government over reports the Irish Medical Council (IMC) knew in advance that a doctor subject to a sexual assault investigation in Britain was taking up a post with the South Eastern Health Board (SEHB).
Mr Mitchell has called on the Minister for Health, Mr Micheál Martin, to state publicly what steps he has taken to require the IMC to act with "great concern for the public good when they have knowledge of a medical practitioner who could be a danger to his patients".
IMC president Prof Gerard Bury said last night that despite their knowing three weeks in advance that Dr John Harding Price was being investigated by the General Medical Council in Britain, it was not up to them to inform the SEHB of this.
Mr Mitchell said that the stance adopted by the council in regard to the SEHB had to be challenged.
"The Medical Council is not the third House of the Oireachtas and cannot be allowed a free hand to legislate for its members outside of this State’s publicly accountable legal and constitutional framework," he said.
"Minister Martin has a serious obligation to make a public statement on the matter, setting out his position on a matter of grave public importance".
Dr Harding Price worked as a psychiatrist in two hospitals in Clonmel and Kilkenny between April 17th and November 5th of last year. The SEHB is investigating two complaints made against him by Irish patients.
Under Fine Gael proposals in the Surgeon General Bill 2001, a person with statutory powers to report directly to the Oireachtas on medical issues of public concern would be appointed.
