General Frequently Asked Questions
CORU is the umbrella body which will be responsible for regulating health and social care professionals. It includes the Health and Social Care Professionals Council and the 12 Registration Boards established under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act.
CORU’s role is to protect the public by promoting high standards of professional conduct, education, training and competence across 12 health and social care professions, including:
- Clinical Biochemists
- Dietitians
- Medical Scientists
- Occupational Therapists
- Orthoptists
- Physiotherapists
- Podiatrists
- Psychologists
- Radiographers
- Social Care Workers
- Social Workers
- Speech and Language Therapists
and any other health and social care profession deemed appropriate by the Minister for Health and Children.
The name CORU originates from an Irish word, ‘cóir’ meaning fair, just and proper. These are values that resonate deeply within our organisation, and perfectly reflect our commitment to protecting the public by regulating health and social care professionals. CORU is not an acronym.
The way to pronounce CORU is by placing the emphasis on the ‘u’ at the end of the word. It sounds similar to Brian Boru, construe, pursue and undo.
The Health and Social Care Professionals Council is a regulatory body established under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005. The object of the Health and Social Care Professionals Council at CORU is to protect the public by promoting high standards of professional conduct and professional education, training and competence among registrants of the designated profession.
Council's role is to:
- Oversee and coordinate the Registration Boards
- Make rules
- Provide guidelines on bye-laws
- Provide support to Registration Boards
- Encourage collaboration between Registration Boards
- Serve as an appeals body for those refused registration
- Enforce standards of practice through the Fitness to Practise regime
- Handle complaints
- Ensure the protection of titles
- Advise the Minister or other functions assigned by the Minister
The Health and Social Care Professionals Council at CORU has 25 voluntary members who have been appointed by the Minister for Health and Children. It has a lay majority with one member representing each of the 12 registered professions, and 13 other members who do not come from the registered professions.
A separate Registration Board will be established for each of the 12 professions. The objective of each board is to protect the public by fostering high standards of professional conduct, education, training and competence among those registered.
Each Registration Board will consist of 13 voluntary members with a lay majority as follows: 6 will be elected by registrants of their profession (3 engaged in the practice of that profession, 2 engaged in the management of services provided by it and one in the education and training of it). The remaining 7 will be appointed by the Minister (one from the management of the public health sector, the social care sector or both, one from a voluntary or private sector organisation concerned with health or social care, one involved in the training of that profession and 4 representing the interest of the general public.)
Each Registration Board will:
- Establish and maintain the register for that designated profession
- Issue certificates of registration
- Give guidance regarding ethical conduct, practice of the profession and continuous professional development
- Approve education and training programmes
- Monitor the continuing suitability of programmes approved for the education and training of applicants for registration
- Make recommendations to Council regarding sanctions to be imposed on registrants.
The Social Workers Registration Board at CORU was appointed by the Minister for Health and Children in 2010. It has 13 voluntary members as follows:
- Suzanne Quin (Chairperson)
- Monica Egan
- Fiona Geraghty
- Cormac Quinlan
- Mary Hargaden
- Ursula Fernée
- Pat Dunne
- Fr. Val Collier
- Chris Curtin
- Ned Kelly
- Damien Courtney
- Denis Gallagher
- Valentine O’Kelly
