In a finding which has prompted the society to review its membership rules for non-EU nationals, the Labour Court overturned a previous equality officer ruling and found that the society had discriminated against Ms Venera Ilieva and Mr Tsvetko Mitov when it refused to allow them join the society because their Bulgarian qualifications did not meet Irish standards.

The ICPS is designated by the Minister for Health as the sole authority for recognising physiotherapy qualifications in Ireland and a physiotherapist cannot work in the public sector without membership.

The society told the Sunday Tribune that it did not intend to discriminate against the Bulgarians and the difficulty was down to the timing of Bulgaria's entry into the EU. The ICSP is currently meeting with the ministers for education and health, said a spokesman, and "are discussing the issue as a matter of urgency".

The two physiotherapists had applied to join the ICPS in 2002, before Bulgaria joined the EU. Under ICPS rules, non-nationals who apply to join the society but do not have the required Irish qualifications are given time to 'top up' their qualifications. But non-EU nationals are not afforded the same opportunity.

When the society refused the Bulgarians membership, Ilieva argued that the society had at least one physiotherapist on its books from the university she had attended.

Last September, an equality officer said the society had not discriminated against the Bulgarians as their qualifications did not meet Irish standards. But it did say they had been victimised as a result of pursuing the case and awarded them 10,000 each.

Now the Labour Court has overturned the decision, saying that the rule which refuses to allow non-EU nationals to top up their physiotherapy qualifications was discriminatory and awarded them a further 10,000 each.