Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 19:

In page 31, between lines 29 and 30, to insert the following:

"Amendment of section 31 of Act of 2005 26. Section 31 of the Act of 2005 is amended, in subsection (1)(fa)(i), by the substitution of the following clause for clause (II):

"(II) was awarded both a Bachelor of Science in Applied Health Science by the Institute of Physical Therapy and Applied Science Dublin and a Diploma in Physical Therapy by that Institute,".".

These proposed new sections amend sections 31 and 38(2F) of the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005. Section 38 sets out the circumstances under which a registration board should grant registration. Section 38(2F), which was inserted by means of an amendment to the Act in 2017, relates specifically to the Physiotherapists Registration Board and allows persons who graduated from the Institute of Physical Therapy and Applied Science after 1 January 2013 to register with the board up to 31 December 2019. The amendment will remove the obligation that the specific qualifications referred to must have been awarded after 1 January 2013. This is to enable a small number of qualified professionals who returned to the State after practising in another jurisdiction and had spent several years out of practice to register with the board. The amendment will extend the time allowed for such applicants to make an application under this section of the 2005 Act by two years to 31 December 2021.

The amendment to section 31 of the 2005 Act is a consequential amendment and provides for the deletion of the reference to the date of 1 January 2013.