99. The Act of 2007 is amended by the substitution of the following section for section 47:

“ 47. (1) The Council shall register in the Specialist Division a medical practitioner (other than a visiting EEA practitioner) who meets all the requirements of section 45 that apply to him or her and who holds a specialist qualification.

(2) The Council may, until the 1st anniversary of the commencement of section 99 of the Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Act 2020, grant registration in any particular list of the Specialist Division to a medical practitioner who—

(a) is registered, or is able to be registered, in the General Division,

(b) on or before 31 December 2008, both met the qualifying criteria for appointment to a medical post in the State as a consultant and occupied such post, and

(c) satisfies the Council that he or she has sufficient competency such that he or she should be registered as a specialist in that list.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (2), the Council shall, until the 1st anniversary referred to in that subsection, work with the bodies approved under section 89(3)(a) to assist medical practitioners registered in the General Division to achieve the necessary standard for registration in the Specialist Division.”.