Ms Amy O'Keefe:

Previously, ISBA ran a certification board, namely, the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board, BACB. People took that board exam. It was in theory an international organisation. However, it has withdrawn from international and is now just focused on the State because that is really only where it was able to regulate. However, the UK's Society for Behaviour Analysis, SBA, has recently become recognised. A practitioner must be certified by that body. Similarly, we hope to be able to have that system too whereby, in order to practise behaviour analysis in Ireland, a practitioner would need to be registered with ISBA, adhere to the code of conduct and collect CPD credits in order to maintain his or her accreditation. Unless a practitioner maintains his or her accreditation, he or she cannot work in the area. That is also where the regulation comes in. We cannot arbitrarily say that someone is no longer a member of ISBA and therefore cannot practise as a behaviour analyst. In that case, who can be? ISBA could say it has removed this person from its register. We need an authority over us, such as CORU, that will list all our members and their certifications and with which they will be registered. It will also be in a position to state that someone has been practising unethically, has not kept up to date with the CPD requirements or that there have been reports against them. There have to be repercussions in the context of their removal. We can have our code of ethics and we can ostracise colleagues who are not behaving. Until we are regulated, however, it is going to be difficult.