Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 123: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the proposals she has to regulate medical herbalists (details supplied) via the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25085/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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It is not proposed to regulate medical herbalists under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005. The twelve professions included in the Health and Social Care Professionals Act were chosen because they are long established providers of health and social care within the public health service and, in most instances, also have experience of self-regulation. In addition, the qualifications of the majority of these professions are currently regulated within the public health service. This is not the case for medical herbalists.

Section 4 of the Act provides for the inclusion, by Regulation, of additional professions in the proposed system of statutory registration. This section also sets out the criteria the Minister shall have regard to in considering the designation of further professions under the Act. It would be a matter for the Health and Social Care Professionals Council, in the first instance, to advise the Minister on whether a profession should be regarded as a health and social care profession and be considered for regulation under the Act.