Don Lydon (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Bill which has been in gestation for a long period. I speak as a psychologist and psychology is the only one of the 12 professions in which I am interested. However, I am sure the others are just as important.

I have been involved in the profession for 30 years and I have a number of concerns. Psychologists have their own professional body, namely, the Psychological Society of Ireland. For many years, we have had the ranks of fellow and associate fellow of the Psychological Society of Ireland. In recent times, a registration process was introduced. When one, as a psychologist, is accepted as having attained a certain level of professional competence, one becomes a fellow or associate fellow and this entitles one to append the postnomial letters FPSI or AFPSI, as appropriate. On registration, one may append the further letters Reg. Psychol. A similar system operates in the United Kingdom, with the exception that one would be a chartered as opposed to a registered psychologist.

These letters after one's name are a symbol or signal of professional competence to patients, clients or members of the general public that the person they are attending has attained a certain level of competence. However, there is nothing in law to prevent anyone calling himself or herself a psychologist. A person with a diploma in hypnosis or someone who had attended a two-day course in some form of esoteric psychotherapy could call himself or herself a psychotherapist. Someone with no qualifications at all can still call himself or herself a psychologist. One of the reasons the Bill will prove extremely valuable is that, under its provisions, the situation I have outlined will no longer obtain. That is a laudable development and it is one of the main reasons I support the Bill.

While the Psychological Society of Ireland could impose sanctions on those members who violate its professional code of ethics, there is nothing to oblige a psychologist — even one working in the health service, a hospital or whatever — to become a member of the PSI. One can, therefore, operate as a psychologist and hold all the degrees in the world but one is not obliged to be a member of the society. In that context, the controls and regulations contained in the Bill are needed and will prove useful.

There is one further problem which I do not believe has been tackled, although I understand many negotiations took place between psychologists, the Department, etc., in respect thereof. There are many different kinds of psychologists, namely, clinical psychologists, educational psychologists, military psychologists, forensic psychologists, neuropsychologists, comparative psychologists — who deal only with animals — and occupational psychologists. Does the Bill apply to them or does it only apply to those psychologists working in the area of health or in social care situations? This is an important point. Would, for example, a person with a degree in occupational psychology who works in the Irish Management Institute be entitled to call himself or herself a psychologists? I do not raise this matter, which has been debated by psychologists for many years, for spurious or contentious purposes.

When one becomes a psychologist one can, in theory, work in the various fields. In practice, however, one must specialise for many years in the field one chooses in order to become competent therein. However, there would be nothing to prevent me from working in occupational psychology or any other field of psychology. In doing so, could I call myself a psychologist and then return to clinical psychology? Does the Bill address this point? It does not arise in respect of most of the other professions because one is either an occupational therapist or one is not. However, it arises in the profession of which I am a member. For many years, there was a debate within the Psychological Society of Ireland regarding whether only clinical psychologists should be registered. Perhaps the Minister will consider the matter and see if an amendment is required.

In essence, I support the Bill. It has been a long time coming and it will provide good safeguards for the public in respect of all of the professions it covers. Senator Kitt said that another Bill will be introduced in respect of medical practitioners and nurses. That would be no harm. When one operates in the areas of health or social care, one is in some way influencing people's lives. One must be competent, serious about one's work, registered and consider the care of one's patients or clients paramount at all times. If the Bill helps to achieve these ends, it is laudable.