Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 234: To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the recognition of an Italian qualification in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34911/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy refers to an application, from the person whose details are supplied, to have his professional qualifications recognised under Directive 2005/36/EC for the purposes of seeking employment in the publicly-funded health service in Ireland.

This Directive applies to all EEA nationals wishing to practise a regulated profession in an EEA Member State other than that in which they obtained their professional qualifications. Its intention is to make it easier for certain professionals to practise their professions in European countries other than their own but due safeguards are provided in the assessment of the qualification for public health and safety and consumer protection.

For the purposes of the Directive, a regulated profession is defined as a professional activity access to which is subject, directly or indirectly, by virtue of legislative, regulatory or administrative provisions to the possession of specific professional qualifications. Where statutory registration does not exist for a profession in Ireland, non-Irish qualifications are assessed for their equivalence to the Irish entry-level qualifications required to work in the publicly-funded health sector.

Under Statutory Instruments Nos. 139 and 166 of 2008, which transpose the Directive into Irish law, the Minister for Health and Children is the Competent Authority for the profession in question. For this profession, the Directive does not provide for automatic recognition of professional qualifications obtained in another Member State; it provides for an assessment, on a case-by-case basis, of the qualifications of an applicant against those required to practise in the host member state. If the activities covered by the profession in the home and the host member state are not comparable, then the qualifications cannot be recognised. If the activities are comparable but deficits in the qualifications are identified, subsequent post-qualification professional experience of the applicant must be considered. If deficits still remain, the host Member State must offer an applicant a compensation measure, a choice of completing an adaptation period or taking an aptitude test. The Period of Adaptation is defined in the Directive as: "the pursuit of a regulated profession in the host Member State under the responsibility of a qualified member of that profession, such period of supervised practice possibly being accompanied by further training. This period of supervised practice shall be the subject of an assessment."

It would be inappropriate to comment on individual applications but I am advised that, in the case of this person's application, he has been advised of his deficit, which is in clinical research. This deficit must be addressed by either of the compensation measures provided for in the Directive. As the role of the recognition process is not to conduct primary assessment/evaluation of professional training but rather to assess for equivalence to Irish reference standards the certification of previous professional training, the applicant was recommended to undertake a taught research programme. It is considered that this would satisfy the requirements of the Directive as he would receive additional professional training within a supervised structure; and the outcome of this additional training could be assessed for equivalence.