Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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12. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on the process of getting qualifications obtained in Britain recognised in Ireland since the cessation of the mutual recognition of professional qualifications in 2021. [14517/25]

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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My question relates to the process of getting qualifications obtained in Britain recognised in this State, particularly since the cessation in 2021 of the mutual recognition of professional qualifications. The Minister's Department serves as the national co-ordinator and the national assistance centre for EU Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications. The directive provides the main legal framework to facilitate the mutual recognition of professional qualifications between the EU and EEA member states.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy correctly noted, the European directive on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications ceased to have general applicability to UK award holders post Brexit, that is, after December 2020. Qualifications from the UK were automatically recognised during the transitional period, which ran from 1 February to 31 December 2020. If a qualification was recognised during that time, the professional can continue to practise in Ireland or the EU.

While this overall formal framework no longer applies to the recognition of qualifications from the UK, there is ongoing extensive experience within the various competent authorities, which, in consultation with my Department and other Departments, have developed revised pathways for recognition for applicants with UK professional qualifications. Anyone wishing to practise in a regulated profession must meet the professional qualifications required by law. People should contact the relevant competent authority or regulator if they have queries or wish to advance that process. There is no requirement to have a qualification recognised in order to seek employment in unregulated professions. Of course, as the Deputy will understand, certain professions are regulated for a reason, with a high standard being necessary. There must be some rigour in that regard.

There is a small number of professions where it is not possible to provide for continued recognition of UK qualifications in Ireland due to provisions in Irish law based on EU directives or regulations. Some of them relate to a requirement for establishment or residence in an EU member state. Inevitably, as divergence occurs over time following Brexit, it may be the case that mutual recognition becomes more difficult in certain areas if standards and requirements begin to change. My Department continues to engage with the UK Department for Business and Trade on this matter. At our most recent meeting, in January 2025, both Departments agreed to monitor developments at EU and UK level to assess impacts arising from any further initiatives.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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This is a real problem, including in a North-South context. We want to encourage student mobility across the island, which is how things are progressing. However, there appears to be a particular issue in regard to the health and social care professionals regulation body, CORU. In 2023, there were media reports that qualified Irish physiotherapists returning to Ireland from Britain, having attained their degree in one of that country's leading sports science universities, had to wait more than a year for their qualification to be recognised by CORU. Esther-Mary D'Arcy, professional adviser at the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists, has said we are facing the worst recruitment crisis in the history of the State, with professional practices screaming out for staff. I accept that CORU must be thorough but the problem is the length of time the process is taking. If it is a capacity issue, more staff must be brought into the body.

I am also dealing with the case of a constituent from Mayo who has a postgraduate certificate in education from a university in England. She is registered to teach by the Teaching Council but this accreditation body has deemed her to fall short in philosophy of education and sociology of education.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. On her last point about the constituent's query, if she wants to send that to my office I will happily take a look at the details of it. I will say, based on prior knowledge before I was ever a Minister in this Department, the Teaching Council has a particular set of requirements. Somebody even within the State may come a cropper - the Deputy mentioned, I think, philosophy or some of the courses. There is a very specific set of requirements around undergraduate subject choice and then usually a postgraduate qualification in teaching methodology. Those two must be combined or follow in sequence to be recognised by the Teaching Council. I do not know the details of the Deputy's constituent. I am happy to take a look at it but it may be less to do with the UK qualification and more to do with the qualification itself. I wanted to flag that; it may be of interest or assistance to the Deputy's constituent.

There is provision within the CTA, the existing agreement, and some professional sectors such as veterinary, architects, legal and others can come to an agreement which would, I suppose, be arrived at between the two professional bodies and the sectors. That would effectively reinstate the EU professional qualifications directive for that sector. That could be implemented by the competent authority on request and will form part of future developments.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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In that case, that person was paid less than her counterparts and is documented as an unqualified teacher. My question is: how can she be registered to teach with the Teaching Council yet be branded as an unqualified teacher? It just does not make sense.

In October last, the Australian Government announced that the doctors from Britain, Ireland and New Zealand will have their ability to practice in Australia fast-tracked under new changes introduced by regulators. Why can we not do the same here? We have such a shortage of human capital here to fill jobs. It is something we seriously need to consider. We are talking about a welcome home for our diaspora, The Gathering and the céad míle fáilte, but let us get the practical supports in place to enable our qualified citizens to return home and fill the thousands of vacant public sector posts across health, social care and other disciplines.

Again, I will go back to our need for an all-island approach to what is happening in education and third level education. We need it streamlined across the island. We need to get ready for the constitutional change that is coming down the line.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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On the Deputy's Teaching Council case, I will take the details away but it is not uncommon, unfortunately, that people have different levels of accreditation or recognition within the system, notwithstanding the Teaching Council registration. I am not going to make any comment on the individual's situation. I do not know but if it is of any assistance, I have come across a case in my own constituency work in the past and that is not uncommon at all. Often it depends on the actual original qualifications pursued, or the particular subject choices pursued by the student, whether they meet the requirements or not.

As is the case in supplementaries, the Deputy's supplementary spans a number of areas. I think she was talking about returning from Australia.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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Yes, to fast-track. They brought in a policy to fast-track. Why can we not do the same here?

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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For which professions?

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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It was for the medical professions - for doctors in particular. It was for doctors from Britain. The doctors from Ireland are being fast-tracked there; why can we not fast-track our own who are living abroad?

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I think we can because my own sister is a doctor who qualified in Australia and returned to Ireland and is now practising. It is evidently happening, from personal experience. On the wider arrangement, I recently spent time in India on a St. Patrick's Day trade mission. I was engaged on the reciprocal arrangements there, of which there are many. We have a reciprocal arrangement with multiple states around the world. If there are particular gaps, I am open to hearing about them. It was not in the original question so I do not have a full brief on that but I am happy to take a look at it.