Vol. 536 No. 5
194 Mr. Kenneally asked the Minister for Health and Children if radiographers who qualify in the United Kingdom are qualified to work here; if they need to be validated here in order to do so; if they can be employed here after such validation; the length of time this process takes; the efforts being made to fast track the procedure in view of the shortage of radiographers here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14651/01]
For the purposes of the EU directives on the mutual recognition of foreign qualifications, the Minister for Health and Children functions as the designated authority for validating non-national qualifications for employment as a radiographer here.
Citizens of an EU country with an EU qualification wishing to work in Ireland must apply to me in order to have their qualifications recognised. Assessment of such non-national radiography qualifications are carried out by the designated competent authority, that is, the Irish Institute of Radiography. The EU directive lays down a maximum timeframe for this validation process of four months from receipt of a completed application. If the application is not complete and it is necessary to request additional information from the applicant, the four month timeframe is suspended, pending receipt of the additional information necessary to complete the application.
Graduates of the United Kingdom must therefore apply to the Minister for Health and Children to have their qualifications validated before they may work in the public health service. The process is complex, as it involves the designated competent authority satisfying itself that the training received by each applicant is comparable with that provided by the Republic of Ireland training courses, and the time taken to complete the validation will reflect this. Every effort is taken to complete the process as quickly as possible given these considerations.
My Department has engaged in talks with the Irish Institute of Radiography on the question of streamlining the validation process and a revised process should be in operation later this year. It is the intention of both parties that the revised process will streamline the processing of validation requests.
