Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator O'Loughlin for giving me an opportunity, on behalf of the Minister for Health, to inform the House of the progress made to date on the establishment of the registration board for psychotherapists. The Minister apologises for not being able to come to the Chamber to take the matter.

The Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 provides for the protection of the public by promoting high standards of professional conduct, professional education, training and competence through statutory registration of health and social care professions designated under the Act. The legislation is being implemented on a phased basis as registration boards and their registers are being established. Out of the 17 professions designated for regulation, 12 registration boards are currently operating for 15 professions. A profession for regulation is either designated in the Act or can be designated by means of an order made by the Minister for Health under the Act when, following a consultation process, he or she considers it is appropriate and in the public interest that the profession be so designated.

As the Senator will be aware, regulations under SI 170 of 2018 were made by the then Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, in 2018. The effect of those regulations is to designate the professions of counsellor and psychotherapist under the 2005 Act and to establish one registration board for both professions. The Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board was established in November 2018 and its members were duly appointed in February 2019. The board held its inaugural meeting in May 2019 and has held a total of 20 meetings since it was established. Its work includes consideration of the titles to be protected, the minimum qualifications to be required of existing practitioners and the qualifications that will be required for future graduates.

While the Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board has begun working towards regulation of those professions, a substantial body of work requires to be undertaken before a register may be opened. The work of the board is significantly more challenging than it is for registration boards for some of the more established professions, owing to the many different educational pathways into the professions and the variety of specialties and titles used. To date, the board has made progress in a number of areas. This includes the identification, verification and comprehensive assessment of legacy and historical qualifications to determine whether they are appropriate for transitioning existing practitioners onto the respective registers when open. The board has also conducted scoping and research on the regulation of counsellors and psychotherapists internationally. In addition, it has commenced the drafting of separate and distinct standards of proficiency for both counsellors and psychotherapists.

To add my own tuppence worth, I could not agree more with the Senator that young people who are qualifying as psychotherapists and counsellors need clear pathways to professionalism. As Minister of State with responsibility for disability services, I am concerned that parents who seek an assessment of needs from private practitioners are protected. They must be sure the people from whom they seek a service meet the professional criteria. We need a proper register for those practitioners. Far too often, when parents have sought a private assessment of needs, the practitioners are not recognised. This issue is relevant not just in one field but right across the board, including the disability sector. I welcome the Senator's Commencement matter.