Ms Deirdre Walsh:

The 2005 Act does not regulate activity for any profession. The new legislation will set qualifications and will protect title. It will ensure that the registrant is signed up to the code of ethics and conduct, which they commit to work with in their scope of practice, their qualification and education. If they fail to do so, registrants can be brought to fitness to practice. However, it is difficult. We are heading down the road of regulating counsellors and psychotherapists and it will be quite a challenge.