John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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366. To ask the Minister for Health to seek that CORU will consider introducing regulation of the profession of healthcare assistants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21944/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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A number of representative bodies for unregulated professions have approached the Department seeking to be regulated. It is important in this context to point out the issues to be considered regarding the proportionate degree of regulatory force required to protect the public are complex.

In light of this, and in line with ongoing work in the Department of Health, the Health Research Board was requested to carry out research on behalf of the Department to assist in policy development in this area. The report, “National Approaches to Regulating Health and Social Care Professions”, examines the approaches to the regulation of health and social care professionals internationally and is publicly available on the Department’s website (www.gov.ie/en/department-of-health/publications/national-approaches-to-regulating-health-and-social-care-professions/).

My officials are in the process of drawing from this report and other relevant sources to develop a framework to guide policy on the regulation of health and social care professionals into the future. This framework will also be informed by an evidence and risk-based approach to regulation in line with requirements set out in the EU Proportionality Test Directive, which was transposed into Irish law on 19 August 2022 (S.I. No. 413/2022). Further information on the Proportionality Test Directive can be found here: .

There are no plans in place to progress regulation of individual professions until appropriate risk-assessment and evaluation tools are in place in compliance with best practice, international evidence, and the Proportionality Test Directive.

It should be noted that healthcare assistants work under the supervision of registered nurses/midwives and undertake their duties through the process of delegation. Nurses and midwives as regulated professionals are bound by a Code of professional Conduct and Ethics. When delegating specific tasks or responsibilities to other unregulated staff, the registered nurse maintains overall accountability for the care provided and is accountable for the decision to delegate.