Irish students in the UK should not be affected by a no-deal Brexit in terms of their qualifications and fees in the short term. As it stands, the UK is expected to leave the EU on 31 October this year. If the UK leaves without a deal, Irish students in the UK will still pay the same fees until 2021, and those who are eligible for a SUSI grant will continue to receive one.
In May this year a high level Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by An Tánaiste Simon Coveney and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, which detailed core principles associated with the Common Travel Area. In terms of education, it stated that the Common Travel Area affords “Irish and British citizens the right to access all levels of education and training and associated student support, in each other’s state, on terms no less favourable than those of the citizens of that state”.
This should provide comfort to all seeking to pursue their studies in the UK. In addition, all administrations in the UK (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales) have advised that they will continue to apply the current EU fee regime for third-level education until 2020-2021.
Meanwhile, the Irish Government will continue to pay SUSI grants to eligible students even if they are in the UK. A spokesperson for the Department of Education and Skills said that this is provided for under the ‘Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Act 2019’.
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson. \ Dylan Martinez
Qualifications
In many professions, registration with a national oversight body or council is needed to be eligible to practise in Ireland.
These professions include; doctors, vets, nurses, teachers etc. With so many Irish people opting to study in the UK, it is important to consider what effect Brexit could have on registration to work in Ireland upon graduation.
The Department of Education and Skills is responsible for the co-ordination of recognition of professional qualifications. Should the UK exit on the basis of a negotiated settlement, all EU Directives will continue to apply during the transition period, including those dealing with professional qualifications.
Since January this year, regulatory bodies have been engaging with their UK counterparts to prepare for a no-deal situation.
“The latest feedback from various Government departments is that this engagement with UK regulators has been positive and no significant issues are arising,” a spokesperson for the Department of Education and Skills said.
“It should be further noted that the Lisbon Recognition Convention under the Council of Europe is signed by 50 members including Ireland and the UK, and is designed to facilitate recognition of qualifications across members.
“This also affords another layer of protection of qualifications after Brexit takes place.” CL
>> Regulatory bodies
Irish Country Living spoke with some of Ireland’s professional regulatory bodies to see what changes may be put into place as a result of a no-deal Brexit.
Nursing
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) said that if you have already had your qualifications recognised by the NMBI, there will be no change; that qualification remains recognised and you can continue to practise in Ireland once you are on the NMBI Register of Nurses and Midwives. In the event of a no-deal Brexit, NMBI will accept for recognition UK qualifications in general nursing and midwifery which:
Were obtained on or after 29 June 1979 (23 January 1983 for midwifery) and were then compliant with Annex V of the Directive (2005/36/EC).Were obtained after the withdrawal date and meet NMC accreditation standards and would have been compliant with Annex V of the Directive had there not been a no-deal Brexit. For all other UK nursing qualifications, NMBI will assess the qualifications against national Irish standards. Applicants with UK qualifications should not experience any difference in the process; it is only the legal basis for the recognition of their nursing/midwifery qualification that is changing.
No deal-Brexit nursing examples
Example 1: If you are a UK-trained general nurse and/or midwife you will be assessed as a non-EU (UK) trained applicant.
Example 2: If you are currently studying nursing or midwifery in the UK you will be assessed as a non-EU (UK) trained applicant when you have qualified and apply to register.
Example 3: If you are a general nurse or midwife who trained outside the EU, but you had your qualifications recognised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (you are on the UK register) you will be assessed as a non-EU trained applicant.
Example 4: If you are an applicant holding UK nursing qualifications other than in general nursing or midwifery, your qualification and professional experience will undergo a full assessment against the NMBI standards and requirements; you will be required to submit details of the programme for assessment by NMBI. You are categorised as “all other nurses”.
Example 5: If you are currently considering applying to study nursing and/or midwifery in the UK, how this will be assessed in the future will depend on whether UK authorities change nursing and midwifery training programmes.
Law Society
At present, the Law Society recognises the qualifications of solicitors from England & Wales and Northern Ireland under EU law and allows them to requalify in this jurisdiction relatively easily. After Brexit, this EU legislative framework is likely to be no longer relevant, a spokesperson for the Law Society said.
“We have brought in new regulations on foot of the Solicitors Acts allowing for future recognition of the various categories of UK solicitors on a reciprocal basis. This means that after Brexit, if Irish solicitors are required to take exams to practice in another jurisdiction – such as in England and Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland – we will require the same exams of solicitors from that jurisdiction. That is because, unlike in EU law, the Solicitors Acts require reciprocal recognition.”
The Law Society published information on this entitled May 2019 guidance: Practising certificates: Solicitors outside the Irish jurisdiction. This document can be found on its website www.lawsociety.ie
Veterinary Council
The Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) said that it does not anticipate that access to VCI registration for any veterinary practitioner or veterinary nurse will be affected by a no-deal Brexit.
“An Irish person training as a vet or vet nurse in the UK at the moment will still have their qualification recognised here post-Brexit. This is regardless of a Brexit deal or not.
“The process/channels upon which registration applications are streamed and assessed will alter in the event that the UK leave the EU without a deal, as UK applicants will no longer be treated as EU nationals, however, fundamentally the information considered remains the same,” a spokesperson for VCI said.
“Currently, the VCI and Royal College Veterinary Surgeons UK (RCVS) enjoy a very good relationship, and we are liaising on the potential to enter a Mutual Recognition Agreement, to ensure the continued ease, access and convenience of mutual recognition of qualifications between the two bodies.”
Irish veterinary nursing qualifications accredited by the VCI, are also being accredited by Acovene (Accreditation Committee for Veterinary Nurse Education to accredit veterinary nurse education programmes in the EU) and are well regarded and accepted in the UK.
Teaching
The Teaching Council said that while some processes may be modified as a result of Brexit, it is not expected that there will be any significant change from the existing arrangements between the jurisdictions. Teachers holding UK qualifications will continue to be eligible to apply for registration including qualification assessment with the Teaching Council. In addition, teachers holding Irish qualifications will be afforded the same opportunity should they wish to work as teachers in the UK.
Irish students in the UK should not be affected by a no-deal Brexit in terms of their qualifications and fees in the short term. As it stands, the UK is expected to leave the EU on 31 October this year. If the UK leaves without a deal, Irish students in the UK will still pay the same fees until 2021, and those who are eligible for a SUSI grant will continue to receive one.
In May this year a high level Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by An Tánaiste Simon Coveney and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, which detailed core principles associated with the Common Travel Area. In terms of education, it stated that the Common Travel Area affords “Irish and British citizens the right to access all levels of education and training and associated student support, in each other’s state, on terms no less favourable than those of the citizens of that state”.
This should provide comfort to all seeking to pursue their studies in the UK. In addition, all administrations in the UK (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales) have advised that they will continue to apply the current EU fee regime for third-level education until 2020-2021.
Meanwhile, the Irish Government will continue to pay SUSI grants to eligible students even if they are in the UK. A spokesperson for the Department of Education and Skills said that this is provided for under the ‘Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Act 2019’.
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson. \ Dylan Martinez
Qualifications
In many professions, registration with a national oversight body or council is needed to be eligible to practise in Ireland.
These professions include; doctors, vets, nurses, teachers etc. With so many Irish people opting to study in the UK, it is important to consider what effect Brexit could have on registration to work in Ireland upon graduation.
The Department of Education and Skills is responsible for the co-ordination of recognition of professional qualifications. Should the UK exit on the basis of a negotiated settlement, all EU Directives will continue to apply during the transition period, including those dealing with professional qualifications.
Since January this year, regulatory bodies have been engaging with their UK counterparts to prepare for a no-deal situation.
“The latest feedback from various Government departments is that this engagement with UK regulators has been positive and no significant issues are arising,” a spokesperson for the Department of Education and Skills said.
“It should be further noted that the Lisbon Recognition Convention under the Council of Europe is signed by 50 members including Ireland and the UK, and is designed to facilitate recognition of qualifications across members.
“This also affords another layer of protection of qualifications after Brexit takes place.” CL
>> Regulatory bodies
Irish Country Living spoke with some of Ireland’s professional regulatory bodies to see what changes may be put into place as a result of a no-deal Brexit.
Nursing
The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) said that if you have already had your qualifications recognised by the NMBI, there will be no change; that qualification remains recognised and you can continue to practise in Ireland once you are on the NMBI Register of Nurses and Midwives. In the event of a no-deal Brexit, NMBI will accept for recognition UK qualifications in general nursing and midwifery which:
Were obtained on or after 29 June 1979 (23 January 1983 for midwifery) and were then compliant with Annex V of the Directive (2005/36/EC).Were obtained after the withdrawal date and meet NMC accreditation standards and would have been compliant with Annex V of the Directive had there not been a no-deal Brexit. For all other UK nursing qualifications, NMBI will assess the qualifications against national Irish standards. Applicants with UK qualifications should not experience any difference in the process; it is only the legal basis for the recognition of their nursing/midwifery qualification that is changing.
No deal-Brexit nursing examples
Example 1: If you are a UK-trained general nurse and/or midwife you will be assessed as a non-EU (UK) trained applicant.
Example 2: If you are currently studying nursing or midwifery in the UK you will be assessed as a non-EU (UK) trained applicant when you have qualified and apply to register.
Example 3: If you are a general nurse or midwife who trained outside the EU, but you had your qualifications recognised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (you are on the UK register) you will be assessed as a non-EU trained applicant.
Example 4: If you are an applicant holding UK nursing qualifications other than in general nursing or midwifery, your qualification and professional experience will undergo a full assessment against the NMBI standards and requirements; you will be required to submit details of the programme for assessment by NMBI. You are categorised as “all other nurses”.
Example 5: If you are currently considering applying to study nursing and/or midwifery in the UK, how this will be assessed in the future will depend on whether UK authorities change nursing and midwifery training programmes.
Law Society
At present, the Law Society recognises the qualifications of solicitors from England & Wales and Northern Ireland under EU law and allows them to requalify in this jurisdiction relatively easily. After Brexit, this EU legislative framework is likely to be no longer relevant, a spokesperson for the Law Society said.
“We have brought in new regulations on foot of the Solicitors Acts allowing for future recognition of the various categories of UK solicitors on a reciprocal basis. This means that after Brexit, if Irish solicitors are required to take exams to practice in another jurisdiction – such as in England and Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland – we will require the same exams of solicitors from that jurisdiction. That is because, unlike in EU law, the Solicitors Acts require reciprocal recognition.”
The Law Society published information on this entitled May 2019 guidance: Practising certificates: Solicitors outside the Irish jurisdiction. This document can be found on its website www.lawsociety.ie
Veterinary Council
The Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) said that it does not anticipate that access to VCI registration for any veterinary practitioner or veterinary nurse will be affected by a no-deal Brexit.
“An Irish person training as a vet or vet nurse in the UK at the moment will still have their qualification recognised here post-Brexit. This is regardless of a Brexit deal or not.
“The process/channels upon which registration applications are streamed and assessed will alter in the event that the UK leave the EU without a deal, as UK applicants will no longer be treated as EU nationals, however, fundamentally the information considered remains the same,” a spokesperson for VCI said.
“Currently, the VCI and Royal College Veterinary Surgeons UK (RCVS) enjoy a very good relationship, and we are liaising on the potential to enter a Mutual Recognition Agreement, to ensure the continued ease, access and convenience of mutual recognition of qualifications between the two bodies.”
Irish veterinary nursing qualifications accredited by the VCI, are also being accredited by Acovene (Accreditation Committee for Veterinary Nurse Education to accredit veterinary nurse education programmes in the EU) and are well regarded and accepted in the UK.
Teaching
The Teaching Council said that while some processes may be modified as a result of Brexit, it is not expected that there will be any significant change from the existing arrangements between the jurisdictions. Teachers holding UK qualifications will continue to be eligible to apply for registration including qualification assessment with the Teaching Council. In addition, teachers holding Irish qualifications will be afforded the same opportunity should they wish to work as teachers in the UK.
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: