Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for bringing forward the legislation, which is very welcome. There is a need for regulation and I have come across it quite a bit in recent years. Certain areas not covered by this are still not regulated and I acknowledge the Minister is also working on these areas. It is important that we make sure everyone who provides a professional service has gone through a unified standard of training, whether it is for physiotherapy, speech and language therapy or social work, in order that we have a standard to be met before a person can hold him or herself out as being professionally qualified.

I have come across an issue on a few occasions with regard to medical practitioners. We must ensure those applying for jobs have not been barred from practising in the country from which they have come. This is something that can easily fall through and it needs to be very carefully watched. Recently, I came across the case of a medical practitioner who had obtained a job in a hospital and who had given information that was absolutely incorrect. When it was corrected, the hospital acted immediately to remove the person from working on the wards and that person was suspended immediately. Information had been supplied inaccurately and wrongly. This is a huge area because people are going abroad to obtain qualifications and people are coming from other jurisdictions with qualifications.

I agree with Senator O'Reilly on the registration process. I came across one case of someone who had set up in Ireland after practising in the UK for more than ten years, believing that a suitable qualification to carry on the practice here was held. However, the person has been dealing with CORU for the past four to five months and has been requested to close down the facility, which is unfortunate. We have come across problems where people set up practices and genuinely felt that they had fulfilled all of the criteria and had gone through the registration process but, for some reason, there was a misunderstanding about what had and had not been done.That is a challenge. All those seeking registration must comply in full with the regulation and produce all of the necessary documentary evidence to show that they are qualified and can provide a service.

Although it is not covered by the Bill, the area of physical therapists is of concern. It is being followed up on by the Department. There is a concern regarding many physical therapists who are practising in Ireland but may not be allowed to continue their work in a particular area. That issue must be addressed. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health, of which I am a member, has written to the Department on the issue on a few occasions. It is an issue of great concern which must be dealt with by the Department.

Another area not covered by the Bill and which needs to be monitored is that of people who provide scanning services. Many companies offer scanning services without providing any additional support. I previously gave the example of a pregnant woman going for a scan on a Saturday with a person operating privately and being advised that the foetus was not alive but no back-up support being immediately available for the woman. That is an issue which causes me great concern. It is important that anyone providing scanning services has professional indemnity insurance and so on. Some GPs have difficulty getting such insurance. If they wish to provide a scanning service, they must have adequate professional indemnity insurance. That area must be addressed. Aside from the issue of incorrect information being given, if there is no back-up support in a clinic, where can a person go to access such support, in particular at weekends? It is an area that must be looked at.

I welcome the Bill. It is extremely important that the regulations are properly implemented for all of the professions listed in the Bill and that structures are in place to ensure adequate supervision. I thank the Minister and his officials for bringing forward the legislation and for the work that has been done by all involved, including those who agreed to sit on the boards. It is very important that people are giving a commitment and are dedicated to ensuring that there is a standard which is maintained and improved on a constant basis. I thank CORU for the work it is doing. However, it is of great importance that the issues raised by Senator O'Reilly be addressed.