Speaking at the launch of the Health and Social Care Professionals Council, now known as Coru, the Minister for Health said “This is the first time that health and social care professionals in Ireland will be regulated under statute and it is a very significant step in our drive towards ensuring high standards of patient safety. The establishment of the Health and Social Care Professionals Council demonstrates my commitment to ensuring that professions are well regulated in the interests of patient safety and best practice and also to the benefit of the professions themselves”. http://www.dohc.ie/press/releases/2007/20070326.html

The purpose of statutory registration is to ensure that members of the public are protected is to protect the public by promoting high standards of professional conduct and professional education, training and competence amongst the registrants of the designated professions.

Practitioners practising under the professional title will have their qualifications verified and they must satisfy the Registration Board that they are a ‘fit and proper person’.

Statutory registration applies to the following 12 health and social care professions, regardless of whether they work in the private or public sector or are self employed.