Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 October 2023
563. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that there are an estimated 3,000 trained nurses from India and the Philippines currently working in Ireland; if he plans to allow those who wish to have their nursing qualifications recognised by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland and those who need additional language training to progress to recognition as nurses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44039/23]
View answer581. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Health if he will grant NMBI nursing registration after the successful completion of adaptation training or RCSI aptitude test, to those health care assistants with a nursing degree diploma from their home country and have been working in Ireland for at least two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44095/23]
View answerAs the Deputies will be aware, all nurses and midwives who practise in Ireland must be registered on the Register of Nurses and Midwives, maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI). Along with the NMBI, as the regulator for the professions of nursing and midwifery, I welcome registration applications from those that were educated overseas as they seek to join the health service workforce in the State.
The NMBI are the independent, statutory body which sets the standards for the education of nurses and midwives in Ireland and have a function in safeguarding the public. Ensuring patient safety and protecting the public is a core function of the NMBI and therefore rigorous evaluation of information and thorough regulatory checks are required when processing applications from those who want to practise in Ireland.
To register to become a nurse or midwife, all applicants need to complete a two-stage process:??
Recognition of Qualifications
Registration.?
In the first stage, Recognition of Qualifications, an NMBI Education Assessor will assess evidence of the applicant’s education, qualifications, and credentials against the NMBI standards and requirements to practise in Ireland. Once the application has been assessed as satisfactory, a decision letter will issue from the NMBI.
Where the NMBI Education Assessor identifies a gap between the applicant’s education, qualifications, and credentials and the NMBI Standards and Requirements, the decision letter will inform the applicant that there is a requirement to complete a ‘compensation measure’. These compensation measures are either a paid period of adaptation or an aptitude test; these are mechanisms which allow an applicant to demonstrate their competency to meet the NMBI Standards and Requirements. Once the applicant has completed the compensation measure successfully, the recognition process is complete, and they can apply for registration.
As part of the second stage, all registration applicants must demonstrate to the NMBI that they have the necessary proficiency in English to communicate effectively and safely in their practise. For many overseas educated applicants, this means taking an English language test and submitting a certificate of test results. The NMBI recognises both the International English Language Test System (IELTS) and Occupational English Test (OET) as verified test providers. IELTS and OET are valid for two years across all Irish regulators and Canadian, Australian, American and UK regulators. This is also the standard validation period across immigration services internationally.
These language tests are carried out by independent third parties, internationally recognised for providing rigorous and evidence-based professional or occupational English testing, specifically for healthcare professionals. Tests can be taken in Ireland, or nearly all other countries.
I have been advised by my Department that, in order to facilitate a particular cohort of applicants, and in response to requests, the NMBI’s Registration Committee has recently agreed to extend the period of validity for English Language test results for a defined cohort of applicants. A three-month extension is now available for applicants:
• who have previously passed an English language test with a satisfactory score
• whose test expired within three months of application for registration
• who has evidence of delay in application due to ATWS issues (evidence of rejections in 2023), and
• who has successfully completed a compensation measure in 2023.
