Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have shared my views on the issue of registration fees with the chairman of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland. I am very conscious that the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, just like CORU, the Medical Council or the education council, is the independent professional regulatory body for that profession and is accountable to the Oireachtas and not to me directly. The last thing I want to start doing is interfering with the business of the Medical Council or any other regulator or professional body. I have shared my views and concerns on this issue with the chairman of the NMBI.

It is a general policy principle that is broadly accepted across all parties that people should bear the cost of their own regulation and not the taxpayer. Even intern doctors pay about €310 to the Medical Council and accountants may pay €500. There are variations in that. I have certainly expressed my concerns about the potential consequences for the health service of nurses being delisted. However, I will not interfere in the inner workings of a regulatory body that is accountable to the Oireachtas.