Dan Neville (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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487. To ask the Minister for Health the progress made in the regulation of psychotherapy and counselling under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act. [2854/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Psychotherapists and counsellors are not currently regulated under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005. However, the Act provides that the Minister for Health may, under section 4(2), designate a health and social care profession not already designated if he or she considers that it is in the public interest to do so and if specified criteria have been met.

My predecessor, Minister James Reilly T.D, wrote to the The Health and Social Care Professionals Council in May of last year advising it of his intention, in the public interest, to designate by regulation the profession or professions of counsellor and psychotherapist under the Act. The Act provides that the Minister for Health is obliged to consult with the Council in the first instance concerning a proposed designation. The Act also requires that interested persons, organisations and other bodies be given an opportunity to make representations to the Minister concerning a proposed designation. The Council has been asked to advise on a number of issues concerning the proposed designation and has been requested to take into consideration the report of Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) on the academic standards necessary for the accreditation of courses in Counselling and Psychotherapy. This is an essential element as it would inform, for the purpose of registration, the assessment by the registration board, when established, of the qualifications of those currently in practice.

This is the first stage in the consultation process under the Act and I hope to receive the Council's report at an early date. I will then proceed to the next stage which will involve a much wider consultation when I have fully considered the Council's report. While a number of issues remain to be clarified including decisions on whether one or two professions are to be regulated, on the title or titles of the profession or professions, and on the minimum qualifications to be required of applicants for registration, I hope to be in a position to progress the question of regulating counsellors and psychotherapists this year.