Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)

I will do my best to explain the situation. I understand where the psychologists are coming from and there is very little disagreement between us. This happens when one registers a profession in order to have the optimum standards. No one questions that psychologists have extremely high standards as they have both primary degrees with first or second class honours and postgraduate training. All of the psychologists working in the public sector have these standards but there are some psychologists who have degrees and no postgraduate experience, many of whom have been practising for years in the public sector. It would be impossible in initiating legislation in this House to discriminate between members of a profession working in the public and private sectors.

There is a timeframe in this legislation as these arrangements will apply for a period of two years from the establishment of a register and include the provision that practitioners who hold a stated qualification and have been in practice at any time during a period of five years before the establishment of a register should be granted registration. A practitioner must also satisfy the registration board, which is the key issue, that he or she is a fit and proper person to engage in the practise of that profession.