Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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1331. To ask the Minister for Health if concerns raised in correspondence (details supplied) will be addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16067/23]

Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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1359. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to concerns of HSE-employed healthcare assistants from outside Ireland in relation to amendments in their QQI employment requirements, and a lack of clarity in relation to qualification comparisons from non-EU college courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16394/23]

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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1371. To ask the Minister for Health in relation to the Government’s ‘Action Plan for Apprenticeship’, part of which seeks to develop a public sector National Framework of Qualification QQI level 5 courses for the occupation of healthcare assistants, if healthcare assistants who have nursing qualifications from outside of Ireland (QQI level 7 and 8), will be required to complete the QQI level 5 courses to remain working as a healthcare assistant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16438/23]

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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1390. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the matter that persons currently employed as healthcare assistants with comparable qualifications from another jurisdiction over QQI 5 level will not be required to complete QQI level 5 course for the occupation of healthcare assistant in Ireland, when it comes into operation, to retain their jobs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16513/23]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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1412. To ask the Minister for Health if he is aware of the difficulties being faced by overseas healthcare assistants in terms of getting renewed work permits; if those qualified above QQI level 5 in the health care sector will need to repeat the QQI level 5 due to HSE changes to the National Framework of Qualification QQI level 5 course for the occupation of healthcare assistant in Ireland; if he is aware of the importance of overseas healthcare assistants in the health service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16607/23]

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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1471. To ask the Minister for Health if he will confirm that healthcare assistants who are qualified above QQI level 5 do not need to repeat or obtain a QQI level 5 qualification; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16825/23]

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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1497. To ask the Minister for Health the reason healthcare assistants who come from abroad to work here, with qualifications above QQI level 5 will only be given renewed employment permits if they complete the QQI level course for healthcare assistants in Ireland; if his attention has been drawn to the NARIC Ireland international qualification comparison requirement (details supplied) that those who are qualified above QQI 5 level in the health sector, do not need to repeat the QQI 5 level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16905/23]

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1544. To ask the Minister for Health if he will address a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17199/23]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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1551. To ask the Minister for Health if he will address a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17187/23]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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1575. To ask the Minister for Health if he will address the ambiguity regarding the Government's Action Plan to develop a public sector National Framework of Qualification QQI level 5 course for the occupation of healthcare assistant in Ireland, particularly in relation to health care assistants from abroad who are qualified above QQI 5 level in the health sector; if he will confirm that they do not need to repeat the QQI 5 level (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17295/23]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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1768. To ask the Minister for Health the steps he is taking to ensure that healthcare assistants working in Ireland under the general employment permit are not compelled to complete a QQI level 5 healthcare course to renew their permit in situations where their existing international qualifications and experience meet or exceed level 5 qualifications; the steps he is taking to address ambiguity regarding existing qualifications and experience in respect of non-EEA healthcare assistants; the engagements he has had with Quality and Qualifications Ireland and a representative body for these workers (details supplied) in relation to this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18228/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1331, 1354, 1359, 1371, 1390, 1412, 1471, 1497, 1544, 1551, 1575 and 1768 together.

In June 2021 the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment provided access to the General Employment Permit for the role of Health Care Assistant.

The framework agreed with the Department of Health included the requirement for the employment to offer a remuneration level of €27,000 or more and for the permit holder to achieve a relevant Level 5 Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) qualification after two years employment in the State. The Level 5 qualification after two years is the minimum required for this role. This criterion was established to ensure all workers in the Health Care Assistant role would work towards building their skills and range of qualifications and in safeguarding the care of vulnerable patients that a similar standard of learning will be met and delivered upon across care settings.

Ideally, all Health Care Assistants should obtain their QQI Level 5 in Healthcare support. However, it is now clear that some Health Care Assistant staff who are availing of the employment permits framework have other qualifications, aligned to the care industry but not as Health Care Assistants. There appear to be three other Nursing/ Care qualifications from the NARIC website that staff from the Philippines and India can obtain at a Level 7 and Level 8 QQI level. However, the education, training and experience aligned with these qualifications are unclear.

The HSE currently accept QQI Level 5 or equivalent as part of their eligibility criteria. It is therefore not unreasonable to accept a healthcare award at Level 6/7/8 instead of the QQI Healthcare Support Level 5 award for employment permit purposes if the clinical lead in the organisation or the employer provides assurances that the staff member has demonstrated the skills, experience, and knowledge to carry out the role competently as compared to those staff members with the QQI L5 qualification. A “sign-off” from the clinical lead in the organisation or employer would be required. A standard form will be available for this purpose. This would allow for those staff who have demonstrated competence to continue to apply for the extension of the permit and identify those staff who may be required to complete the qualification within two years to proceed with a renewal of the employment permit. This may involve the full award or individual modules.

The eligibility criteria for Health Care Assistants specific to professional qualifications and experience for employment permit purposes is as follows;

The relevant health skills FETAC Level 5 qualification

OR

An equivalent relevant health care qualification

AND

Be currently employed as a Health Care Assistant or a comparable role

AND

Candidates must have the personal competence and capacity to properly discharge the duties of the role.