Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 March 2018
242. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the reason CORU will not recognise qualifications certified by an organisation (details supplied); the reason it will not include the organisation's members in its regulation process; if his attention has been drawn to the potential impacts on members seeking employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13035/18]
View answerI have met with Athletic Rehabilitation Therapists Ireland as have my officials on a number of previous occasions regarding this matter. Athletic rehabilitation therapists are a separate profession to that of Physiotherapist which is the profession designated for regulation by CORU under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005. As a separate profession they do not use and are not seeking to use or practice under the title physiotherapist /physical therapist and there is no risk of confusion in the public mind with regard to the services of those practising under the title athletic rehabilitation therapist.
I have assured the ARTI on a number of occasions that once work concludes on the regulation of the professions currently designated under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act, 2005, CORU will be requested to undertake a risk assessment of a number of other professions seeking regulation by CORU, including Athletic Rehabilitation Therapists, and to make recommendations to me in this regard.
