James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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383. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to concerns expressed by members of an organisation (details supplied); if he has received correspondence on same; if he has received meeting requests from members the organisation on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13839/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I have met with Athletic Rehabilitation Therapists Ireland, as have my officials, on a number of previous occasions regarding their concerns in respect of the designation of the profession of Physiotherapist for regulation by CORU under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005.

Athletic rehabilitation therapists are a separate profession to that of Physiotherapist. As a separate profession they do not use and are not seeking to use or practice under the title physiotherapist /physical therapist and there is no risk of confusion in the public mind with regard to the services of those practising under the title athletic rehabilitation therapist.

I have assured the ARTI on a number of occasions that once work concludes on the regulation of the professions currently designated under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act, 2005, CORU will be requested to undertake a risk assessment of a number of other professions seeking regulation by CORU, including Athletic Rehabilitation Therapists, and to make recommendations to me in this regard.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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384. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the assessment to be undertaken by CORU on the professions seeking regulation including athletic rehabilitation therapists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13840/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As I have stated previously in the House, once work concludes on the regulation of the professions designated under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005, CORU will be requested to undertake a risk assessment of a number of other professions seeking regulation, including Athletic Rehabilitation Therapists, and to make recommendations to me in this regard.

On the 21March 2018, the Oireachtas approved the designation of counsellor and psychotherapist under the Act, increasing to sixteen the number of professions regulated by CORU. Taking into account this additional statutory responsibility and the extensive work programme underway on concluding the regulation of professions already designated, the risk assessment will be undertaken by CORU as soon as is practicable.