Written answers

Tuesday, 30 April 2013

Department of Health

Health Services Staff Issues

Photo of Ciarán LynchCiarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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515. To ask the Minister for Health if recognition is to be provided to creative arts therapies and if it is intended to include the Irish Association of Creative Arts Therapists under the provisions of the Health and Social Social Care Professionals Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20538/13]

Photo of Andrew DoyleAndrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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516. To ask the Minister for Health if he is considering including creative art therapists under the registration of persons qualifying for the use and title of a designated profession for the determination of complaints relation to their fitness to practice under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20646/13]

Photo of Anne FerrisAnne Ferris (Wicklow, Labour)
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585. To ask the Minister for Health his views on statutory recognition and registration of creative arts therapies here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20372/13]

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 515, 516 and 585 together.

The Health and Social Care Professionals Council (HSCPC) and the 12 registration boards to be established under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 - the Act - are responsible for protecting 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. In time, only registrants will be entitled to use these titles. The Council - also known as CORU - was established in March 2007 and is working to put in place the necessary structures for registration, education and fitness to practise for the 12 designated professions. The first registration board to be established, the Social Workers Registration Board, was established in August 2010, and the associated Social Workers Register opened for receipt and processing of applications on 31 May, 2011. A second registration board, the Radiographers Registration Board, was established on 16 December, 2011 and its register is expected to be established on 30 June 2013. Three further registration boards, the Dietitians Registration Board, the Occupational Therapists Registration Board, and the Speech and Language Therapists Registration Board have been established with effect from 1 November 2012. It is proposed to establish the Physiotherapists Registration Board shortly and expressions of interest from interested parties are currently being sought through the Public Appointments Service to fill vacancies on the soon to be established Board. All the registration boards and their registers for the remaining designated professions should be established by 2015.

While 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, and under specific criteria, I have no plans at present to regulate creative arts therapists. The question of regulating further health and social care professionals may be reviewed post 2015 in the context of progress made by CORU at that juncture. The issue of recognition of creative arts therapies in the public health services, the need for such services and the direct employment of creative arts therapists are matters for the Health Service Executive in the first instance.

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