Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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We are in the business of healthcare, however. I share the concerns that are being raised by committee members. I raised exactly the same concerns, myself. This is a change. The original Bill we debated on Second Stage did not allow this particular mechanism. We are not creating a workforce from scratch here. We are not saying that we have a new regulated profession and we will start to fill the register based on college graduates who have three-year or four-year full-time degrees in training. The graduates coming out now are really highly trained. We have these 30 courses. CORU has pored over the suitability of the courses, modules and so forth. That is not what we are doing.

These 10,000 to 12,000 workers already exist. They are out there working in disability services, homeless services, addiction services and other services, and have been for many years. They already exist; they are doing a great job. By and large they are really good important healthcare professionals. Now for the first time we are about to regulate this group of people and what they do. There are recognised college courses, recognised competency tests and recognised experience. There are various safeguards in place in respect of all those things. As we move to a regulated profession, there will be CPD.

CORU is now in as a regulator. There will be a mechanism for professional complaints to be made. We need to bear that in mind. We are not starting from scratch here. This is a grandparenting process. Such a process is rarely a simple transition, and certain calls need to be made. There are at least five different quality-control measures in place here. The first is that it is time bound. This registration will only be open for two years. After that people cannot come along and say that their employer testifies to their many years of experience and so forth. Therefore, it is time bound. The second is the breadth of the assessment. An employer looking to attest to someone's qualifications will need to consider five separate domains: professional autonomy and accountability; communication, collaborative practice and team working; safety and quality; professional development; and professional knowledge and skills. Those are the five areas that need to be gone through. They will be fleshed out in much more detail by CORU. The third is the duration of employment - at least six months of the two years must be with that employer. The fourth is the competence of the employer. CORU can determine whether it is satisfied or not. The fifth, of course, is CPD. All registrants will be required to achieve 30 credits within a 12-month period.

We are taking an existing workforce, doing an existing job where there is no regulation. The concerns raised by committee members are the same as those I raised with officials when I said, "Hang on a second; what happens if a social care worker in the disability sector applies for a job in homeless services or in addiction services?"

In the first instance, the employer will have to satisfy themselves that this person is appropriate to do the job. The Deputy referenced engineering. I am an engineer. I was a mechanical engineer.