Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 May 2014
238. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of social workers who have not had their applications processed by CORU, but are still operating as social workers; if any of these persons have been involved in court proceeding especially with regard to important family law cases and had their lack of qualifications been made available to the court. [21946/14]
View answer239. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health in relation to the persons who applied to the CORU but could not be processed while awaiting a professional competence assessment, if they continue to operate as social workers or were they put on gardening leave and were their activities covered by professional liability for the practice. [21947/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 238 and 239 together.
The Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 provides for the statutory regulation of twelve designated health and social care professions including the profession of social worker. Under the Act, the regulatory system comprises a registration board for each of the twelve designated professions, a Health and Social Care Professionals Council with overall responsibility for the boards, and a committee structure to deal with disciplinary matters. The Council and registration boards are known collectively as CORU. To date, five registration boards, including the Social Workers Registration Board, are operational and it is planned that all twelve registration boards will be established by the end of 2015.
The Social Workers Registration Board's two year transitional period, during which social workers practising in the State must apply for registration in order to continue to use their title, ended on 31 May 2013. Only those social workers who have been granted registration or who applied during the transitional period and whose applications are still being determined may continue to use their title. It would be an offence under the Act for any other person to use the title of social worker; any such alleged offence coming to CORU's attention would be immediately and thoroughly investigated and liable to prosecution. I am advised that the Social Workers Registration Board has so far granted registration to 3,156 social workers and that 388 applications are currently being determined.
In relation to social workers involved in family law cases, issues relating to their terms and conditions of employment, their compliance with statutory registration requirements as a condition of continuing employment, and their professional liability insurance, would be matters, in the first instance, for the relevant employer rather than the statutory regulator. As the newly established Child and Family Agency, which reports to my colleague, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, employs social workers involved in family law cases, the deputy might wish to pursue these matters with his Department or with the agency directly. Similarly, the Probation Service, which is an agency of the Department of Justice and Equality, also employs social workers, some of whom may be involved in family law cases from time to time.
