CORU is predicting significant growth in the number of professionals it regulates in the coming years.

Currently, Ireland’s regulator of health and social care professionals regulates the work of over 23,000 professionals across 12 distinct professions, including dietitians, occupational therapists, podiatrists and speech and language therapists. A further six professions have been designated for regulation, including psychologists, psychotherapists and clinical biochemists.

CORU estimates that by 2026, it will oversee the work of 35,000 registrants – a jump of almost 50%. According to CORU chairperson, Mo Flynn, the regulator plays a “vital role in protecting the public by ensuring that the country’s health and social professionals consistently deliver care to the highest standards”.

“An absolute priority for CORU over the coming years will be opening statutory registers for all designated professions. Significant progress has been made over the past two years and Ireland’s social care workers register will now open in November 2023.

“This will be the largest of the 17 professions that CORU will regulate. Considering they often work with some of the most vulnerable members of our society, this will be a milestone in our mission to protect the public,” she commented.

She said that CORU is focused on making similar progress with the other professions that have been designated for regulation.

“Much work has already been done on advancing the regulation of counsellors, psychotherapists and psychologists and this will be a strong focus in the years ahead,” Ms Flynn noted.

To this end, a new strategy has been launched which includes five main priorities for the 2022-2026 period:

-Progress the regulation of the six remaining designated professions

-Ensure regulation protects the public and supports health and social care professionals

-Build the organisational capabilities while evolving a sustainable regulatory model

-Increase awareness of CORU’s role to the public and professionals

-Anchor regulatory interventions in evidence-informed research and insights.

However, CORU has warned that with this growth over the coming years, a more sustainable model of regulation needs to be implemented. According to Ms Flynn, the current model of regulation is “too complex”.

“It is also too reliant on a large number of volunteers and requires over 120 statutory meetings a year. As we add more boards these pressures will increase.

“A new governance structure is required to ensure the efficient delivery of appropriate regulation. We are committed to working with the Department of Health to achieve this and deliver ‘right touch’ regulation while maintaining a relentless focus on public protection,” she said.

CORU’s Statement of Strategy 2022-2026 can be viewed in full here.