Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 February 2023
532. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of people waiting on CORU registration; the number of this figure who are professionals who have trained abroad; the average wait time for registration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10227/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will already be aware, CORU is Ireland's multi-profession health regulator for regulating health and social care professionals. CORU’s role is to protect the public by regulating the health and social care professions designated under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (as amended), including setting the standards that health and social care professionals must meet to be eligible for registration and maintaining registers of persons who meet those standards. There are two forms of application to CORU: applications for the recognition of qualifications received outside the State and applications for registration.
Professional qualifications awarded outside the State are assessed through a process of “recognition” which involves expert assessment of a qualification’s alignment with the standards of proficiency required in Ireland, and assessment of professional experience and lifelong learning where required. CORU’s Recognition Department has informed me that it currently has 321 applications from applicants with non-Irish qualifications which are deemed complete applications and suitable for further processing. In relation to timeframes, the recognition process is now down to less than 70 days on average once a complete application has been submitted.
Once a complete file has been submitted for recognition, applicants are invited to initiate their application for registration in parallel. CORU’s Registration Department has informed me that it currently has 1,234 applications from Section 38 applicants (this includes applicants with both Irish and non-Irish/international qualifications), of which only 161 are deemed complete applications and are suitable for further processing. The average processing time from receipt of a complete application to full CORU registration is 9 weeks.
I met with the Chairperson and CEO of CORU last year and raised the issue of timeframes for the recognition of qualifications and registration applications. Following our discussion, several measures have been initiated by CORU aimed at further reducing timeframes. My Department has supported CORU to introduce a number of initiatives including:
- Introduction of a dual registration process, allowing those applying for recognition of a qualification received outside the state to simultaneous initiate an application for registration.
- Introduction of an online application system.
- Increased frequency of regulatory decision making (Registration Board meetings)
- Assignment of additional temporary staff resources
- Recruitment of additional expert assessors in ‘under pressure’ professions
Alongside the immediate measures CORU has taken to reduce processing times, my officials are working with CORU to identify innovations that will deliver long term improvements for the assessment and registration of eligible applications.
