Dan Neville (Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to give the background to why amendment No. 1 was not included in the first place. This was debated at length during the debate on the 2004 Bill where an amendment was proposed by former Deputy McManus and seconded by me. The then Minister of State, Mr. Tim O'Malley, was supportive of it and would have included it only that the various organisations were in disagreement about whether it should be included. At the time, Mr. O'Malley stated, and the Government assured us, that once the organisations agreed to do so, he would then add it immediately under the Act. The organisations came together and in 2008 published their proposals and acceptance to include it in the Act. We were assured in 2005 that once the organisations agreed, the Government would add it. When we went to have that done, and I put down questions to the then Minister for Health and Children, Ms Harney, she stated the Government would do so but the 12 boards would have to be completed first. It has been repeated that the 12 already designated would take priority even though the reason psychotherapists and counsellors are not included is not because they should not have priority, but because agreement could not be reached at the time and the legal advice to the then Minister was that agreement should be obtained before the registration. At the time the psychological therapies forum published and presented to the then Minister and we were assured that it would be added, but, repeatedly, including this morning, we have been told that this cannot be done until all 12 designated professions are done.

There is extreme concern about untrained psychotherapists and counsellors who are giving dangerous advice. I am aware of this from, for example, Bodywhys, the excellent eating disorders support group, in the case of one of the courses. Eating disorders are a highly complex area, involving psychological, emotional, psychiatric and physical difficulties. It is the highest cause of death among young people outside suicide.

Mr. John Mooney of The Sunday Times did serious research into this and published an article on 6 November last year. He wrote that a high profile psychotherapist who offers diplomas in the treatment of eating disorders has no professional accreditation in Ireland and has not obtained any medical or psychological qualifications from any university. The Eating Disorder Resource Centre of Ireland is run by a certain person. I would prefer not to mention the name, but it is in the public domain. A former anorexic who lives in south Dublin offers diploma courses for up to €3,000. The diplomas, which take eight weekends to complete, are accredited by the British Psychological Society, the chief executive informed Mr. Mooney. A spokesman for the society stated it does not recognise any courses offered by the organisation. The organisation advertises counsellors and psychotherapists who are linked to the organisation, which is run from her home. More than 100 persons have taken the course in the past five years, which means there was income of up to €300,000 from that weekend course alone. The potential client interested in working with vulnerable people would believe that the course is well accredited, but it is not accredited. The course operator stated she had five persons booked already and one would get a diploma in practitioner's skills for eating disorders that is accredited. The Sunday Times sent in applicants to see if they would get on the course without any qualifications or interest in the area, and there was no problem in them getting on the course. In fact, my secretary did it some years ago and she was given a handwritten note to start the following Saturday. Another course for a higher diploma in the area of suicide is done over six weekends. It is highly dangerous stuff. These people set themselves up to advise and the facilities under the 2005 Act would deal with that. It deals with all of that area of supervising psychotherapy and counselling.

The Minister was involved in a debate on a controversy yesterday and although I will not go into it, that could be dealt with under the complaints procedure of the Act. If this was set up under the 2005 Act, as we requested, the issue raised yesterday could be referred to the board to deal with any complaints.

I do not understand why the position on advice to the Minister in 2005 does not still stand. Why has everything changed so much in the meantime? We were promised it in 2005. That was eight years ago and nothing has happened. The psychological therapies forum reported five years ago and nothing has happened. No registration board has been established for any of the 12 in eight years and now we are told that when all of these are done, the Minister will deal with the counsellors and therapists to whom I refer. Will it take ten, 20 or 30 years to do it and what damage will be done? How many will die from suicide? How many will have serious health problems or social problems because of wrong advice?

The organisations involved in these areas are conscious of the need and complaints have come in, including one complaint to Bodywhys where a counsellor in eating disorders discussed another patient's condition, and named the patient, in comparing situations.

That is what we want to address. These bodies would have been included in the 2005 Act but for legal advice regarding the disagreement between the associations.