Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 May 2024
532. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health if a full-time MSc in an occupational therapy course (details supplied) is a qualification recognised by CORU, and if so, the average processing times for recognition and registration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20330/24]
View answerThe Deputy may wish to note that only professional qualifications awarded within the State can be accredited by CORU for access to CORU regulated professions. Professional qualifications awarded outside the State are assessed through a process of ‘recognition’ which involves comparison of the qualification with the standard of proficiency required of accredited Irish qualifications.
The two-year full-time MSc in Occupational Therapy in question is not a qualification which is automatically recognised by CORU as meeting the standard required to practise as an occupational therapist in Ireland at the moment. Any applicant presenting with this qualification must have it assessed and recognised as equivalent to an approved Irish occupational therapy qualification before they can complete the registration process.
However, I can also confirm that all education programmes leading to a qualification for entry to a regulated profession which allows graduates to register with the Health and Care Professions Council in the UK are currently under review for alignment with the standards to practise in Ireland. The assessment of standards alignment between Ireland and the UK for CORU regulated professions is currently being evaluated by experts in the professions, both in practice and in academia.
If the alignment of standards between the two jurisdictions to practise in a CORU regulated profession is sufficient, graduates with UK qualifications will be eligible to apply for recognition without the need for their qualification to be individually assessed (as is currently the case), as it will be classified under CORU’s frequently seen qualifications pathway.
The Occupational Therapists Registration Board’s standards of proficiency are being examined as part of this review and, if they are considered to have alignment, all programmes that are approved by the HCPC will be accepted by CORU. The MSc in Occupational Therapy mentioned will be one of the programmes considered as it is currently approved by the HCPC.
CORU expects to complete the full review and assessment by the end of Quarter 2 2024. Applicants able to use this pathway i.e., when their qualification is assessed as meeting the standards required to practice safely in Ireland, will be able to register with CORU in a timelier manner as the lengthy recognition process will be significantly reduced.
CORU have indicated that, at end Q1 2024, the average number of days for a recognition decision to be made following an occupational therapy application is 64 days from when an application is deemed ‘file complete’ (i.e. all relevant information sought has been provided by the applicant and the application is ready for assessment) to a final decision being communicated.
The average time from when an application for registration is submitted on-line to the date an applicant is added to the register currently stands at 80 days for occupational therapists.
