Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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293. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he has considered giving authorisation to persons other than solicitors and accountants who pass relevant exams to act as personal insolvency practitioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21264/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question 498 on 23rd April, 2013. The position remains as stated:

All Personal Insolvency Practitioners (PIPs) will be authorised and regulated by the Insolvency Service of Ireland, in accordance with Part 5 of the Personal Insolvency Act 2012 - Sections 159 to 169. In Part 5 of the Act, Section 163 sets out how an individual may make application to carry on practice as a Personal Insolvency Practitioner, and Section 164 the matters which the Insolvency Service must take into account in deciding whether an applicant should be authorised as a PIP or whether authorisation is to be refused. The Insolvency Service of Ireland will shortly publish the Regulations under Section 161 of the Act in regard to the authorisation and regulation of personal insolvency practitioners. The Regulations will set out the necessary criteria in regard to qualifications. As I have previously stated, I expect that accountants, lawyers and a broad range of financial advisors may wish to seek regulation as practitioners, but it will not be confined to these professions. All potential applicants, in addition to their existing professional qualifications, will have to demonstrate evidence of the applicants' satisfactory knowledge of the provisions of the Act and the law generally as it applies in the State relating to the insolvency of individuals and in particular statutory provisions relating to such persons.