Environmental Health Officer

Environmental Health Officers, through advice, education, monitoring and regulation, work to improve, protect and maintain health and wellbeing through action on the physical environment. This includes: Food Safety & standards; Public Health, Waste Management, Pollution Control.

The Department of Health is the Competent Authority for the validation of qualifications for Environmental Health Officers.

Eligibility

The minimum approved academic qualifications necessary for appointment as an Environmental Health Officer in the publicly funded health sector are:

(i) a BSc. (Environmental Health) Level 8 – Dublin Institute of Technology

or

(ii) a BSc. Degree Level 8 – University of Dublin and a Diploma in Environmental Health – Dublin Institute of Technology

or

(iii) a Diploma in Health Inspection awarded prior to 10th December 1982, and recognised by the Minister for Health

or

(iv) a non-Irish professional qualification in Environmental Health, recognised by the Minister for Health

Application Process

There is no formal application form. Applicants should submit:

1. A covering letter of application;
2. A copy of your original diploma/degree;
3. A transcript of all examination results showing subjects studied and grades obtained;
4. The syllabus of the course of education and training which you undertook i.e. subjects taken in each year, subject content, number of hours of study in each subject, practice placements (i.e. type, location, duration, supervision etc.);
5. Documentation to indicate that your qualification entitles you to practise as an environmental health officer in the country where you qualified, where this applies;
6. Full details of your professional experience, if any, (i.e. name(s) and address(es) of employer(s) and nature of their service, employment commencement and cessation dates, title of post held, status (full-time/ part-time), specific functions you performed,);
7. Evidence of your professional experience (i.e. letters of confirmation from your employer(s));
8. Citizenship:
a) photographic proof of identity – passport/ identity card;
b) documentary evidence of your citizenship (if different to passport) - birth certificate;
c) a marriage certificate, if applicable, where there is a change of surname;

All documentation must be witnessed as true copies of the originals and certified translations of the originals must be provided where necessary. Please see note/link on the main webpage on the witnessing of documents.

Your letter of application and documents 2-8 above should be submitted with a second photocopied version of the complete submission - i.e. a photocopy of the letter of application and photocopied witnessed photocopies of any original documentation.

Temporary Registration

Temporary service does not apply to Environmental Health Officers as the recognition process is for the purpose of recruitment to the publicly-funded health sector only; persons can be employed in the private sector or be self-employed without having their qualifications recognised.

Contact Details

Department of Health - Validation Unit
Block 1, Miesian Plaza, 50-58 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2
Phone: +353 1 635 3009
Email: validation_unit@health.gov.ie  

Right of Appeal

Regulation 83 of S.I. No. 8 of 2017 states that an applicant may appeal to the High Court any decision of a competent authority or any failure of a competent authority to make a decision, in relation to the application by him/her. Such an appeal shall be brought within 42 days either of the date upon which the decision concerned is communicated to the applicant concerned, or in the case of failure to make a decision within 42 days of the expiration of the periods within which the decision or acknowledgement should have been made.
An applicant who intends to make an appeal may wish to contact a solicitor practising in Ireland.
A decision of the High Court on an appeal under this Regulation is final and cannot be appealed further.

The above is for general information purposes only. All further queries regarding this information should be directed to the Validation Unit within the Department of Health.