Dan Neville (Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Health and Social Care Professionals (Amendment) Bill. It is very important that the designated professions are regulated. I was closely involved in the debate on the original Bill in 2004. My contribution is based on the debate that took place at that time in respect of one profession that was excluded. The profession of psychotherapy and counselling was excluded specifically because the organisations involved in regulating the professions could not agree how it was to be regulated. That was the sole reason for the exclusion and the Minister of State at the time, Tim O'Malley, accepted that they should be included. He hesitated to include them while divisions existed among the various professional organisations on how to regulate. He asked the professions to agree on an approach. In 2008, the professions presented to the Minister a document on public protection entitled Submissions on The Statutory Regulation of Counsellors & Psychotherapists in Ireland. Tomorrow, I will outline and develop the reasons psychotherapy and counselling are not regulated at present. Anyone can practise and charge for psychotherapy or counselling in this country.

Counselling can do great damage to vulnerable people. I will develop that idea when the debate resumes and I will propose that the Bill be amended to include psychotherapy and counselling, as was originally intended.

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