Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 190: To ask the Minister for Health if there are plans to amend the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005; the reasons for such amendments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33687/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Government approval was given on 26th July 2011 to the drafting of the Health and Social Care Professionals (Amendment) Bill to

(i) remove difficulties in relation to the effective operation of the Health and Social Care Professionals Council, in particular to urgently provide for the Minister to continue to appoint professional representatives to the Council from the designated professions under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005, whose term of office expired in March 2011, and

(ii) implement Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications in respect of the professions designated under the 2005 Act and provide a legal base for the assessment of qualifications which are outside the scope of the Directive.

Work is ongoing with the Office of the Attorney General with regard to the drafting of these amendments and it is hoped that the Bill will be enacted in 2012. These amendments are technical in nature and simply facilitate the more effective operation of the Act.