Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I will deal first with the issue of the difference between physiotherapy and physical therapy. As Deputies and Senators are aware, I am examining the issue of protecting the title "physical therapist" and considering whether, on balance, it is in the public interest to protect the title in the Act in order to reduce the potential for confusion in the public mind in the services offered by physiotherapists and by non-physiotherapists offering musculoskeletal therapies. There is confusion. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick has probably never been confused, but I was. I asked a few people if they knew what the difference was and they were pretty much all wrong. Earlier this year I wrote to a number of relevant organisations about my proposal to protect the title "physical therapist" and invited them to submit their views. The deadline for the receipt of submissions passed less than three weeks ago. The submissions are being examined by my officials and I expect to be able to make a decision on the matter in the coming weeks once I have received and considered the submissions. There are many factors to be considered.

I assure the committee that my main concern is to protect members of the public who are my responsibility, as Minister for Health, when it comes to any decision in this regard, rather than the interests of any individual profession, although, of course, its views will be taken into account as a key stakeholder and affected party.

As members will be aware, psychotherapists and counsellors are not currently regulated under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005. However, the Act provides that the Minister for Health may designate a health and social care profession not already designated if it is considered that it is in the public interest to do so. My predecessor, the Minister, Deputy Reilly, wrote to the Health and Social Care Professionals Council last year seeking advice on the question of specifically designating counsellors and psychotherapists under the 2005 Act. A number of issues require clarification and there are varying views among the different professional bodies representing counsellors and psychotherapists in Ireland. The main questions to be resolved include whether counselling and psychotherapy should be treated as one profession or two for the purpose of regulation, the exact titles of the profession that should be protected and the minimum qualifications that would be required of the applicants for registration. As members will appreciate, these are not straightforward questions. The readiness and compatibility of the professions for designation under the 2005 Act also needs to be determined. The council's detailed report has now been received and is being examined by my Department with a view to deciding on the next steps, which, it is envisaged, will include a wider range of consultation involving the various professional bodies and other interested parties. It is intended to hold that consultation, either in the last quarter of this year or the first quarter of next year.