Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

I first express my sincere condolences to the wife and family of the deceased person who died in such tragic circumstances, which is the subject of Deputy Cowley's question. As I have explained to the House previously, a national working group was established by my predecessor in May 2003 to advise on future measures for strengthening the regulatory environment for complementary therapies. I have asked for the group's report to be expedited and expect to have it shortly.

The issue of the regulation of complementary therapists is especially important in light of the increasing number of people who are attending such practitioners, particularly in partnership with conventional medical-professional care. As a result, the often informal nature of how some complementary therapies are practised needs more scrutiny. Greater controls in this area are in the interests of all reputable practising therapists as the presence of any unscrupulous or incompetent practitioners undermines the sector and presents risks to those using the therapies. Ensuring they are trained and qualified to the level required to work safely within their area of competence is the personal responsibility of every individual practitioner providing health care services to the public. As the Deputy will be aware, the provision of all services to the public is also subject to the supervision of the Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs.

I intend to introduce appropriate measures to strengthen the current regulatory environment for complementary therapies as soon as I receive the national expert group's report. In the meantime, I have asked the health promotion unit, in consultation with relevant experts, to explore the possibility of running a public information campaign aimed at persons contemplating the use of complementary therapy. A key message that must be communicated is that patients with undiagnosed conditions should be actively encouraged to seek medical advice in the first instance.

See this speech in context