Dan Neville (Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I support the Minister's motion. It is important there is a lay majority relative to the regulated professions. This was debated at length in the course of the introduction of the Bill. I wish to raise the issue of the regulation of the psychotherapist and counselling professions. A commitment was made ten years ago that psychotherapy and counselling would be regulated. They were not regulated under the original Health and Social Care Professionals Act because the voluntary organisations could not agree at the time. The then Minister of State with responsibility for disability and mental health, former Deputy Tim O'Malley, made very clear that if there had been agreement on the matter, those professions could have been regulated at that stage. A commitment was also made 12 months earlier in 2004 during a debate in the Seanad on the same issue, so it is almost 11 years since the original commitment was made. During the tenure of the then Minister of State with responsibility for equality, disability and mental health, former Deputy John Moloney, the Psychological Therapies Forum issued a report on the matter and it has been debated over the years. It is almost two years since the former Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, informed the chairman of the Health and Social Care Professionals Council, CORU, that he intended in the public interest to designate by regulation the professions of counselling and psychotherapy under section 4(2) of the Health and Social Care Professionals Act.

That has been ongoing for two years. At the time we were told it could take some time - possibly two years - for any regulation to take place. I do not know what has happened since, other than commitments have been made that this should be the case.

During the amendment of the Bill two years ago in this committee we indicated the concern about the regulation of counselling and psychotherapy services. Anybody can be a counsellor in a psychotherapy service. He or she can put up a brass plate, charge €60, €70, €80 or €90 and say he or she is a counsellor - a marriage counsellor, a psychological counsellor or a suicide ideation counsellor. I will give the Minister some examples because he was not here for the debate. I have a brochure on an advanced diploma in suicide studies. As the Minister knows, suicide is a serious issue, but I will not go into it because we have already debated it. There are two weekend programmes on suicide prevention, two on suicide intervention measures and two on suicide post-intervention and bereavement counselling.

Bodywhys has been extremely concerned for some time about the counselling that takes place for people suffering from eating disorders. Another example is a diploma course on practitioner skills in dealing with eating disorders. The Minister knows how complex such disorders are; they involve psychiatric, psychological, emotional and physical problems. It is run over six weekends. There is another example of a course that took place in the Fitzgerald hotel at Newlands Cross over 12 weekends, starting around 11 a.m. on the Saturday and ending shortly after midday on the Sunday. It cost over €3,000. People are being informed and believe they are qualified to deal with something as complex as eating disorders. Therefore, one can understand the concerns of Bodywhys about the complaints that it receives about the counselling people with very serious disorders receive and who see those providing the counselling as being qualified.

The Minister might think these courses are for people who are qualified, but I got my secretary to apply to participate in this course. She has no interest and has never been involved in anything to do with mental health issues or otherwise. She received a reply with a booking form for the year enclosed. It stated training would commence on Saturday, 27 March, that no hard copies of the module information had been printed up for the next course but that it was available to look at online. She was asked to ring to confirm her attendance.

I have made my point and I am sorry for taking so much time. I know that it is a different issue but it is related.