Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

This amendment refers to section 90, which provides for the registration of existing practitioners. Applicants must either hold the relevant qualification under Schedule 3 or completed an assessment of successful competency set by the registration board in accordance with any guidelines issued by the council. In addition, each registration board will have to satisfy itself that each practitioner applying for registration under section 90 is a fit and proper person to engage in the practice of that profession and it is appropriate to give a registration board discretion in this regard. It would not be appropriate to restrict eligibility to those who have been in full-time practice for a minimum period of three years in the five years ending on the date the register for a particular profession opens. Once a practitioner is registered with a registration board, he or she will be subject to the fitness to practise procedures set out in Part 6. The Health and Social Care Professionals Council will be able to ensure the competence of a registered practitioner through the making of by-laws, etc. If a person is not registered with the council, it will have no role in ensuring that practitioner's competence. It is, therefore, not proposed to accept the Senator's amendment.