Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 189: To ask the Minister for Health if he will extend the Health and Social Care Professionals Act to those providing psychotherapeutic and counselling services who are not already covered by other regulatory bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31110/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Health and Social Care Professionals Council, established in 2007 and the 12 registration boards being established under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (the Act), will be responsible for protecting the public by regulating health and social care professionals in Ireland. The object of the Council is to protect the public by promoting high standards of professional conduct and professional education, training and competence among the registrants of the following 12 health and social care professions designated under the Act: clinical biochemists, dietitians, medical scientists, occupational therapists, orthoptists, physiotherapists, podiatrists, psychologists, radiographers, social care workers, social workers and speech and language therapists.

These 12 professions were designated in the Act which is being implemented on a phased basis, and currently 2 registration boards have been established. These are the Social Workers Registration Board and the Radiographers Registration Board. It is hoped that the remaining 10 registration boards will be established by end 2014. When a registration board is appointed it will work towards the opening of a statutory register for that profession.

While the proposed system of statutory registration applies, in the first instance, to 12 health and social care professions, the legislation empowers the Minister for Health to include, if he considers it appropriate and in the public interest to do so, additional health and social care professions in the regulatory system over time, as appropriate.

The priority at present for my Department is to develop statutory registration for the 12 professions specified in the Act in the first instance. The extension under the Act of statutory registration arrangements for other health and social care professionals will not be considered until after the initial designated 12 professional grades have been fully dealt with.

The Report of the National Working Group on the Regulation of Complementary Therapists (December 2005) recommended that before statutory registration could be considered for other therapies, such as psychotherapy and counselling, there is a need for each individual therapy to federate so that it can advise, as a single voice, on professional standards.

I am aware that HETAC (Higher Education and Training Awards Council) is currently working with representatives of the professional bodies and of higher education institutions that provide courses in psychotherapy and counselling to determine national standards of knowledge, skill and competence to be required for the award of higher education qualifications in these fields. While academic qualifications are not sufficient in themselves as a means of professional regulation, agreement on academic standards does form a critical building block for any modern regulatory system for professions.

It should be noted that while psychotherapists and counsellors are not subject to professional statutory regulation , they are subject to legislation, similar to other practitioners, including consumer legislation, competition, contract and criminal law.