A Fitness to Practise inquiry has heard allegations that a French doctor working in Ireland failed to notify the Irish Medical Council that he had a number of criminal convictions and had also been suspended for a period from practising in France and Britain.
Dr Herve Doustaing of Warrenpoint, Co Down, applied to work as a doctor in Ireland in October 2004 and was registered to work as a GP.
The inquiry has been told that he failed to declare to the Irish Medical Council that he had been suspended for two years for treating patients in part of the French public health system between late 2002 and 2004.
At the time, the French inquiry found that the 52-year-old doctor had overcharged patients, put false entries into medical records and interfered with the private lives of patients.
It is also alleged that Dr Doustaing failed to declare to authorities in Ireland that he had been suspended for two months in 2005 by the General Medical Council in Britain.
Today's inquiry heard that Dr Doustaing had been convicted of verbal assault in France in 1997 and had also been found guilty of tax fraud.
Counsel for Dr Doustaing told the inquiry his client disputes the nature of the some decisions in France and said he was not forbidden from treating patients and that some of the findings were of an administrative nature.
Dr Doustaing said he did not seek to hide any facts from the Irish Medical Council and other authorities.
The inquiry has been adjourned until late March.
