Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 December 2020
461. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the professional qualifications that will be affected from January 2021 when the transitional period for Brexit is completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41340/20]
View answerThe EU Directive on Professional Qualifications will no longer apply once the Transition Period has concluded on 31st December 2020.
While responsibility for recognition of professional qualifications rests with each relevent Department and their regulators, my Department is responsible for co-ordinating the response to this issue. Since late 2018, my officials have been working on a cross-Departmental basis to ensure the continued recognition of professional qualifications in areas including education, health, social care, legal and veterinary science. Regulators in Ireland have been working with their UK counterparts to ensure that Irish qualifications will be continued to be recognised there, and vice versa. In November, 2020, my Department has been assured by relevant Departments that their regulators are satisfied appropriate procedures are in place, to ensure this objective is achieved.
Notwithstanding this work, there are a number of professions, such as those working in certain financial services, fluorinated gases, air and maritime transport, whose qualifications are set within EU Directives other than the Professional Qualifications directive. As such, these must be assessed and certified by an EU Competent Authority, which will exclude those certified by UK Authorities. In such instances, the scope for Irish Regulators to resolve these issues is limited , and their resolution will depend on the outcome of the current EU-UK negotiations. However, where possible, Irish regulators will continue to explore all options including provisions within the Brexit Omnibus Bill 2020 to ensure the continued recognition of UK professional qualifications.
