Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 February 2026
609. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the establishment of the registration board for clinical biochemists; the current phase of development (details supplied); the timeline being worked towards; the reason for the delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11496/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra610. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the establishment of the registration board for orthoptists; the current phase of development (details supplied); the timeline being worked towards; the reason for the delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11497/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 609 and 610 together.
As the Deputy is aware, CORU is Ireland’s multi-profession health and social care regulator. Seventeen health and social care professions are designated for regulation by CORU under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005.
To date, registers have opened for twelve of the seventeen professions designated for regulation by CORU representing the regulation of over 35,000 health and social care professionals.
For the remaining designated professions, including Clinical Biochemists and Orthoptists, CORU is continuing the substantial work required to open the registers with CORU’s current workload particularly focussed on psychologists, counsellors and psychotherapists.
However, CORU has carried out extensive scoping work on both clinical biochemists and orthoptists to determine the most appropriate approach for progressing the regulation of these professions. As each is relatively small and presents distinct complexities in applying CORU’s regulatory framework, this analysis has been an important step in identifying viable regulatory pathways.
I have been advised that my Department will receive recommendations from CORU on the next steps to enable the regulation of these professions in the second half of the year.
