Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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144. To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider providing for play therapists to be regulated by CORU – Health and Social Care Professionals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22630/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Health and Social Care Professionals Council and the registration boards being established under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 are responsible for protecting the public by promoting high standards of professional conduct and professional education, training and competence amongst the 14 professions designated under the Act.

Play therapists are not currently regulated under the 2005 Act. The Minister for Health may, however, under section 4(2) of the Act, designate a health and social care profession not already designated if he or she considers it in the public interest to do so and if specific criteria have been met.

The Act is being implemented on a phased basis as registration boards and their registers are being established. A total of 8 registration boards have been established to date and my immediate priority is the establishment of the registration boards for all of the remaining designated professions by the end of 2016.

When all of the registration boards and their registers have been established, the Health and Social Care Professionals Council will be requested by my Department to prepare a risk assessment, in terms of public protection, of the health and social care professions seeking designation under the Act, and to make recommendations concerning options for their possible future regulation.