Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

I am delighted to rise in support of Deputy Malcolm Byrne’s Bill to make the title "accountant" a protected title. As a chartered accountant, I know what it takes to go through the rigorous training process, the ethical standards and the requirements to pass examinations to become a qualified accountant. We have seen the consequences of the loophole. Across communities and small businesses, people have been misled and, in some cases, financially harmed by individuals who claimed to be accountants but were unregulated and unqualified. Constituents have come to me, particularly farmers, sole traders and pensioners, who have handed over their financial affairs in good faith only to discover errors, penalties and lost savings, all because there is no legal protection for the title "accountant".

Let us contrast this with other professions. People cannot call themselves solicitors unless they are members of the Law Society of Ireland. People cannot call themselves medical doctors unless they are registered with the Irish Medical Council and people cannot call themselves architects unless they are registered with the associated body. These titles are protected and it is not to create exclusivity but to protect the public interest. Surely, when it comes to those entrusted with people’s livelihoods, taxes and financial records, the same standards should apply.

Protecting the title "accountant" is not about limiting competition. It is about ensuring that when members of the public engage an accountant, they can have confidence that the person is professionally trained, bound by an ethical code, insured and subject to disciplinary oversight. This is about transparency, trust and protecting people’s hard-earned money. Deputy Malcolm Byrne’s Bill gives us a chance to close a long-standing gap and align Ireland with international best practice. It will give clarity to the public, strengthen confidence in the profession and uphold the high standards that bodies like Chartered Accountants Ireland, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, ACCA, and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, CIMA, have all maintained for generations. This reform is overdue. In the same way as we protect the titles of "doctor", "solicitor", and "architect", we should protect the title of "accountant". I commend Deputy Byrne on bringing forward this important legislation and I urge colleagues across the House to support it.

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