Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)

I welcome the publication of this report. I thank the Minister of State for the fast engagement with the issues I raised with him concerning north Dublin. I have one issue I would like to raise with a simple solution. One of the greatest obstacles we are facing in the delivery of inclusive education is the shortage of therapists. One of the solvable bottlenecks is the delay in recognising foreign qualifications. It is mentioned in the programme for Government that we are going to try to fast-track the recognition of qualifications. The issue is that while CORU's published timeline states recognition will take four months, I have met professionals in my area who have waited 12 months, 18 months and nearly two years to have the qualification they received in the UK recognised. I welcome that the review calls for investment in professional learning but we also need urgent reform of what is blocking these people's qualifications from being recognised. If people are short a single module because they qualified in the UK, let us call a national panel of our country's specialists, hold the event in the National Conference Centre, deliver the module, test it and qualify them fast. This is a crisis. Let us treat it like one. Let us apply a Covid-level response. These professionals are already on the critical skills list. Let us let them get the critical work. The children and parents cannot wait any longer. I would love if the Minister of State would look at this issue.

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