Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 April 2004
281 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for Health and Children if the status of practising physical therapists will be maintained in legislation being prepared for the regulation and supervision of the health and social care professions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10482/04]
View answerAction 105 of the health strategy commits my Department to strengthening and expanding provisions for statutory registration of health professionals. In this context, the health and social care professionals Bill, establishing this system of statutory registration for health and social care professionals, is currently being drafted by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel.
Under the Bill, it is proposed that certain titles will be protected, that is, only those professionals registered with a registration board will be legally entitled to use the protected titles. It is also proposed that it will be an offence under the legislation for an unregistered person to use a protected title. While certain common titles will be protected in the health and social care professionals Bill, the Minister for Health and Children will be empowered to protect additional titles by regulation.
In drafting the legislation, further advice and examination will be required of the many complex legal, competition and public interest issues that arise under the Bill, including in respect of protection of title. To this end, the Deputy may wish to note that my Department commissioned the Institute of Public Administration in June of last year to undertake a study to elucidate various issues raised in the representations made to me concerning the case for and against protection of the title "physical therapist." This report has now been completed and forwarded to stakeholders for their views.
