Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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380. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 327 of 9 December 2014, his views that in providing therapeutic courses with a religious dimension, such as dialectical behaviour therapy, the Health Service Executive may be in breach of UN recommendations on secularism within national health services. [2269/15]

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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382. To ask the Minister for Health in view of the fact that dialectical behaviour therapy is an effective therapy for persons struggling to cope with strong emotions, self harm and suicidal ideation, if the Health Service Executive is in breach of the rights of persons using this service who identify themselves as atheistic, considering that elements of DBT have religious and faith-based inferences; and his plans to address the situation. [2271/15]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 380 and 382 together.

I assume the Deputy is referring to principle 13(1)(d) of the UN Principles for the protection of persons with mental illness and the improvement of mental health care. If this case, I can assure the Deputy that the HSE is not in breach of this principle in its use of Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT).

DBT is an evidence-based intervention specifically for individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder. It uses cognitive and behavioural practices focussed on mindfulness and does so in an entirely non-religious fashion. DBT is therefore a non-religious, secular therapy for people who struggle with distressing and difficult emotions and have a tendency to self-harm. It provides alternative, less harmful, positive tools and practices to cope with difficult situations and avoid them. While some tools and practices may contain echoes of religious and spiritual traditions, since most religious and spiritual traditions evolved to help people cope with difficult, traumatic times, DBT is scrupulously non-religious.

All therapies and programmes within the HSE offer individual choice and therapists adopt a non-judgemental stance and are trained comprehensively to be open to all view points. Every effort is made to provide an inclusive and safe environment to all service users, irrespective of religious beliefs.