Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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476. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1768 of 18 April 2023, if a healthcare award at level 6,7, or 8 instead of the QQI healthcare support level 5 award will be accepted for employment permit purposes for healthcare assistants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20711/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment provided access to the General Employment Permit for the role of Health Care Assistant in June 2021. The framework agreed with the Department of Health included the requirement for the permit holder to achieve a relevant Level 5 Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) qualification after two years employment in the State.

Responding to the need whereby some Health Care Assistant staff who are availing of the employment permits framework have other qualifications, at Levels 6, 7 or 8, aligned to the care industry but not as Health Care Assistants it was decided that a comparable healthcare qualification as outlined in the Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) NARIC Ireland framework would be acceptable 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 is required. The Department of Health is engaging with the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment on the development of an appropriate form for submission to Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment to accompany applications for renewals of health care assistant employment permits. The standard form and further information will be available soon.