Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 April 2024
1570. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health what assistance can be offered to a day centre (details supplied); when Section 91 for practising chiropody will reopen for registration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15124/24]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Health and Social Care Professionals Council and registration boards it oversees, collectively known as CORU, are responsible for protecting the public through regulation of the health and social care professions designated under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (as amended). CORU fulfils this role by promoting high standards of professional conduct, education, training, and competence amongst the regulated professions.
The Podiatrists Registration Board opened on the 31st March 2021 and CORU have confirmed that it ran a communications campaign at that time to highlight this development and provide information on the future registration requirements.
In addition, raising awareness about CORU’s regulatory role is a key priority for the organisation and, to support this, CORU undertook its largest ever public information campaign in autumn of 2021. A radio advertising campaign was coordinated with a nationwide outdoor advertising initiative to raise awareness of CORU’s remit. This campaign received widespread recognition and was continued and expanded in 2022.
Furthermore, I am advised that CORU rolled out a comprehensive campaign early in 2023 to again raise awareness of the requirement for podiatrists/chiropodists to register before the end of the transitional period on 31st March, 2023. This included ads and press release in the print media, use of social media, blogs and notices to professional/industry bodies. This included notice to National HR and Strategic Workforce Planning within the HSE to help raise awareness. Letters were also sent to circa 200 individual chiropodists and podiatrists nationwide.
When a register opens for the first time for a CORU regulated profession, there are two application pathways available to prospective applicants:
• Section 38 : Applicants must hold an approved qualification to be eligible to apply. This application route is open indefinitely.
• Section 91 : Applicants must be existing practitioners working in the profession for a minimum period of two years out of the five years prior to the register being opened. As per the legislation, this application pathway is open for a period of two-years only.
The title of podiatrist/chiropodist became legally protected in March 2023, as the transitional/ grandparenting period closed - the transitional or grandfathering period for Section 91 applications was only open between 31st March, 2021 and 31st March, 2023 as CORU have already advised and it is not an option to reopen this route to registration.
As the section 91 route is no longer available, applications to register as a podiatrist/chiropodist must be made through the Section 38 application route. Applicants must hold an approved qualification, details of which are available on CORU's website at coru.ie/health-and-social-care-professionals/education/approved-qualifications/podiatrists/.
I am advised that CORU have been in contact with the applicant, informing them of the legislative requirements for registration with CORU i.e. that all applicants are required to have an approved qualification when applying under S38 of the Act, which is now the only route available to the applicant. CORU have also confirmed to the applicant that the transitional period (31 March 2021 – 31 March 2023) was the period when the S91 application route was open.
On the matter of why the HSE did not contact the organisation concerned, if it was aware that it was providing podiatry/chiropody services, this is a matter that should be directed to the HSE. Please be aware that since the transitional period ended on 31st March 2023, all chiropody/ podiatry services provided by any individual calling themselves a chiropodist/podiatrist must be provided by a CORU registered individual.
