Deirdre Clune (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

While the Bill is short and technical, it is important. It is essential that we have registration boards and regulation for professionals. There must be certainty for professionals working in the various disciplines and members of the public who avail of those services must have certainty and trust in standards. A certain level of educational attainment must be established prior to entering a profession and there must be continuing professional development and training throughout a professional working life. In 2000, only five professions were registered. There are now another 12. Twelve years is a long time but some of these things can take a long time. It is important to give certainty.

I am glad to hear the Minister's comments regarding counsellors and psychotherapists. This area can be difficult. A person can put a plaque on the wall and offer those services. This can happen in other areas but it is particularly true of these areas. Counsellors and psychotherapists deal with vulnerable people who are crying out for help and depending on these professionals to support them and provide the necessary interventions and supports. In many cases they charge a hefty fee of ¤60, ¤70, ¤80 or more per hour for their services. This area has been crying out for regulation for a long time and we have all heard stories of how the trust of the public has been violated by certain individuals. I welcome the Minister's comments that he will work on this area as a matter of priority. In his speech, he laid out how he intends to move forward. That is a positive move.

As a member state of the EU, we want to ensure that there is a standard for all professions across the 27 member states. Those standards should be required of any professional coming to work in this country or in any member state. There should be a means of assessment to ensure professionals meet those standards.

This is an important and positive step, from everyone's point of view.

The registration boards will give certainty and confidence to users of the services of these health professionals. This will also give certainty to the professionals themselves who have committed their lives to working in these fields that their professional standards will be recognised, which is also important.