Muslim students have asked health authorities to ensure that female medical students are allowed to wear a hijab or headscarf during surgery.
Earlier this year the Federation of Student Islamic Societies complained that Muslim students in Beaumont Hospital were being discriminated against by having to remove the hijab before surgery. The issue was resolved when the hospital agreed to stock sterile theatre hijabs that cover the neck and much of the face.
However, students are still waiting for a response from the Medical Council on guidelines on the use of hijabs in other teaching hospitals across the State.
The Medical Council did not respond to queries from The Irish Times on the issue yesterday.
The State's advisory body on intercultural affairs, the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI), has written to medical authorities pointing out that disposable theatre hijabs are available in other countries.
In the case of Beaumont, hijabs have been ordered from Britain and will be made available to students who request them.
Philip Watt of the NCCRI said he welcomed the "positive and pragmatic" response of the hospital. The Federation of Student Islamic Societies has said the issue is of major concern in other hospitals around the State and in the North.
The group said it believed Ireland had been "accommodating and very supportive" towards foreign nationals either studying or working in Ireland. However, it said it was important to strike a balance between religious beliefs and providing good healthcare.
The practice of wearing a hijab in other countries, such as the UK and US, is generally unclear and may depend on individual hospitals. The UK's General Medical Council has published no specific guidance on the issue, but warned that it may pose communication problems.
In a statement it said: "We do not consider that wearing a face veil, in and of itself, necessarily has any effect on a doctor's ability to practise medicine.
"However, good communication between patients and doctors is essential to effective care and relationships of trust, and patients may find that a face veil presents an obstacle to effective communication."
In practice, many UK hospitals provide surgical hijabs. Some have controversially chosen to ban the garment in the clinical environments of surgeries and hospital buildings.
While the issue is fiercely contested in countries such as the UK, France and The Netherlands, authorities in Ireland have managed to avoid such clashes due to respectful dialogue and sensible solutions, according to Mr Watt.
