Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Last night, "RTÉ Investigates" put a spotlight on the difficult and traumatic circumstances families of children with additional needs are experiencing due to the failures of the public health service. There are nearly 12,000 children on waiting lists for psychology appointments in a public primary care centre. Many of these children are waiting over five years, and in some cases more than seven years, for an appointment with a qualified psychologist. "RTÉ Investigates" showed us just how easy it is for an unscrupulous person to take advantage of this situation and practice fraudulently as a psychologist with fake qualifications. Due to the lack of professional regulation, families have no recourse when they are ripped off and there is no authority that can stop this from happening. We have been waiting 15 years for the regulation of psychology by CORU and it has been five years since the Psychologists Registration Board was established. The Taoiseach's delay is putting children at risk. It is harming them and leaving many behind. Will he tell the House when the Minister for Health and CORU will finally publish regulations for the psychology profession?

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