Medical Qualifications

Tuesday, 24 June 2025

Ceisteanna (818)

Malcolm Byrne

Ceist:

818. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Health the average length of time CORU takes to recognise professional qualifications for each of the professions it regulates where those qualifications are from outside the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34047/25]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health (Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill)

The latest information provided by CORU on the average length of time to recognise professional qualifications for each of the professions it regulates is outlined below. It should be noted that the recognition process only applies to qualifications which are obtained outside the state.

Recognition Processing Times

The average processing timeframe for Recognition was 60 days across the professions for May.

Average Recognition Processing Times (in days)

Average processing timeframe CORU

Medical Scientists remain the outlier at 142 days. If Medical Scientists are excluded the average processing time for May would be 50 days.

Average Recognition Processing Times by Profession (in days)

Profession	Dec 2024	Jan	Feb	March	April	May
Dietitian	-	17	23	252	131	68
Dispensing Optician	--	56	11	16	31	32
Medical Scientist	143	127	99	135	320	142
Occupational Therapist	11	29	11	37	37	20
Optometrist	64		154	11	149	42
Physiotherapist	143	52	72	58	45	40
Podiatrist	48	34	51	9	5
Radiographer	142	41	44	42	40	31
Radiation Therapist	65		55		28	59
Social Worker	93	78	32	57	60	58
Speech & Language Therapist	210	53	111	36	25	51

CORU has reviewed its processes and identified areas where, working with its registration boards, it could utilise the potential of its legislation to improve both the recognition of international qualifications process and the registration process. Increased delegations from the registration boards to the executive have been put in place and include:

· matters considered low risk;

· qualifications assessed as meeting the standards to practise in the profession in Ireland;

· increase in the frequency of board meetings, and

· increase in the frequency of the registrar’s review of applications for registration decision to a weekly basis.

In 2024 CORU achieved a:

· 33% reduction (24 day) in timelines for recognition of international qualifications to an average of 63 days;

· 42 % reduction (39 days) for registration applications to an average 52 days.

The most significant impact was on:

· Applicants who hold a qualification from the United Kingdom (recognition) due in large part to expedited pathways for commonly aligned standards (CAS). This pathway currently includes UK (including NI) qualifications but will be extended in 2025 to countries that have commonly aligned standards with Ireland.

· Graduates of CORU approved programmes (registration).

In 2025 to end Q1, CORU has been experiencing its fastest rate in growth of numbers of registrants being added to the register month on month and hopes to achieve the following KPIs in 2025:

· 50 days for recognition of international qualifications;

· 30 days for registration applications;

· 14 days for new graduates of CORU’s approved programmes.

The most recent expansion of the CAS project is its extension to Australia and New Zealand for physiotherapists. The CAS project will continue to look at countries and professions that commonly align with Irish Standards of Proficiency.

A major achievement in the past six months has been the implementation of CORU’s new Registrant Management System which allows greater visibility of the applicant journey and removes duplicate steps across both processes.

CORU has also engaged with the HSE in collaborative webinars to provide guidance and support to anyone considering working as a Health and Social Care Professional in the Irish Public Health Service. The recognition team have also produced a summary leaflet for international applicants, similar to the graduate leaflet available on the CORU website. CORU has also taken measures to improve its customer service resource.