Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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975. To ask the Minister for Health when the area of counselling and psychotherapy will be fully regulated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11986/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (the Act) provides for the protection of the public by promoting high standards of professional conduct and professional education, training and competence through statutory registration of health and social care professions designated under the Act.

A profession for regulation is either designated in the Act, or can be designated by means of an Order made by the Minister for Health under the Act where, after a consultation process, the Minister considers that it is appropriate and in the public interest that the profession be so designated.

Arising from such a consultation process, Simon Harris TD the then Minister for Health decided to designate two distinct professions, counsellors and psychotherapists, each with its register, under one registration board.

Regulations to designate the two professions under the Act and to establish the Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board were made in 2018. The Registration Board was duly appointed in February 2019 and held its inaugural meeting in May 2019.

While the Board has begun working towards regulation of these professions, a substantial body of work requires to be undertaken before a register may be opened. The work of this Board is significantly more challenging than for registration boards for some of the more established professions, owing to the different and complexity of entry paths into the counsellor and psychotherapist professions, variety of titles used, and the variety and number of courses and course providers.

Owing to the significant body of preparatory work the that Registration Board is required to undertake; it is not possible to say with any degree of accuracy when the professions will be fully regulated. I would anticipate that the Registration Board will require a number of years to complete its work.