Medical Council warns against lay majority proposal

PLANS by Tánaiste and Health Minister Mary Harney to have a lay majority on a new Medical Council could jeopardise its independence, the council’s vice-president, Dr Colm Quigley, warned last night.

“It would be very unfortunate if the Medical Council became a semi-state body that would rubber stamp Government cost-cutting or decision-making,” said Dr Quigley during a press conference in the council’s offices in Dublin.

Currently, four of the 23 council members are lay people.