86.— (1) In this section—

“dental training bodies” means the bodies approved by the Dental Council under section 37(3) of the Dentists Act 1985;

“medical training bodies” means the bodies approved by the Council under section 89(3)(a)(ii.

(2) The Health Service Executive, in accordance with section 7(4)(b) of the Health Act 2004, shall, with respect to basic medical education and training, facilitate the education and training of students training to be registered medical practitioners.

(3) The Health Service Executive shall, with respect to specialist medical and dental education and training, have the following responsibilities:

(a) to promote the development of specialist medical and dental education and training and to co-ordinate such developments in co-operation with the Council, the Dental Council, the medical training bodies and the dental training bodies;

(b) in co-operation with the medical training bodies and the dental training bodies and after consultation with the Higher Education Authority, to undertake appropriate medical and dental practitioner workforce planning for the purpose of meeting specialist medical and dental staffing and training needs of the health service on an ongoing basis;

(c) to assess on an annual basis the number of intern training posts and the number and type of specialist medical training posts required by the health service and, pursuant to that assessment, to put proposals to the Council in relation to the Council’s functions under section 88(3)(a) and (4)(a);

(d) to assess on an annual basis the need for and appropriateness of medical posts which—

(i) do not fall within paragraph (c), and

(ii) are not posts for consultants,

and to publish the results of that assessment; and

(e) to advise the Minister, after consultation with the medical training bodies and the dental training bodies and with such other bodies as it may consider appropriate, on medical and dental education and on all other matters, including financial matters, relating to the development and co-ordination of specialist medical and dental education and training.

(4) The Minister may, by notice in writing given to the Health Service Executive, require the Executive to provide such information in relation to the performance of the Executive’s functions under this Act as is specified in the notice and within the period specified in the notice (being a period reasonable in the circumstances).

(5) The Health Service Executive shall comply with a notice given to it under subsection (4) except to the extent that it is prohibited from doing so by another provision of this Act.

(6) Specialist medical and dental education and training shall, for the purposes of sections 38 and 39 of the Health Act 2004, be deemed to be a health and personal social service within the meaning of section 2 of that Act.

(7) The Health Service Executive shall carry out such functions, other than functions assigned to it by this Act, as may be assigned to it from time to time by the Minister following consultation with it in relation to medical and dental education and training.