The Government is to begin making appointments to a new statutory registration system later this year aimed at ensuring social workers, therapists and other health professionals are properly trained and qualified.
Minister of State for Children Brian Lenihan said the system would mean members of the public could be confident that professionals treating them were competent and of good standing.
At present just a handful of healthcare staff are subject to statutory regulation, including doctors, nurses, dentists, opticians and pharmacists.
The new system will regulate the activities of more than 14,000 professionals working in the public sector and private sector.
Those affected will include chiropodists, dieticians, physiotherapists, speech-and-language therapists, occupational therapists, radiographers, social workers, medical scientists and clinical biochemists.
The titles of various professions will also be protected and it will be an offence for a person who is unregistered to offer professional services to the public.
Mr Lenihan told the annual conference of the Irish Association of Social Care Workers that appointments will be made this year to a new Health and Social Care Professionals Council, which will set standards that workers must meet in order to become registered.
The council will comprise 25 members, including 12 from registered professions and 13 from outside the professions.
The new council will have three statutory committees to deal with disciplinary matters. Members of the public will be able to make complaints to the relevant arm of the council to investigate the claims.
Registration boards will also be established for the individual professions to decide on issues such as qualification levels for registrants.
It is expected that the official register will be publicly available, allowing patients to check and see if their health professional is properly trained and qualified.
