Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The programme last night was a huge exposé of how people can call themselves psychologists and practice in the private sector. Barry O'Kelly could interview mothers of children with special needs because they are not bound by the in camerarule unlike mothers whose children are taken into State care by Tusla who are victims of these charlatans operating in the family law courts. We saw how many quack psychologists act as expert witnesses in the family law courts. In 2014, one of them made a report on a family law case on whether a child should be removed from the family or not.

The Taoiseach's colleague, Deputy Bernard Durkan, has raised on several occasions here this issue of these psychologists operating in the family law courts which has led to the arrest and, indeed, imprisonment of some mothers and gardaí removing children from schools on foot of this.

When are we going to deal with this serious problem of quack psychologists? More importantly, evidence given by these people can impact significantly on families and children. It is traumatic and cannot be allowed to continue.

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