Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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994. To ask the Minister for Health to intervene and pause the board’s decision to adopt the proposed standards and criteria for counsellors and psychotherapists by the counsellors and psychotherapists registration board of CORU, pending a full review to ensure that the process is lawful, proportionate, and transparent, and that it aligns with appropriate regulatory oversight; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61359/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, CORU is Ireland’s multi-profession health and social care regulator. CORU’s role is to protect the public by regulating the health and social care professions designated under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (as amended).

Counsellors and psychotherapists perform a vital role, providing therapeutic care to often vulnerable people. Regulation is being introduced to these professions to protect the public, ensuring that care provided is of a consistently high standard and always by suitably qualified individuals.

The Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board (CPRB) was established in 2019 and since that time has been working to progress regulation of both professions.

The public consultation process received over 700 submissions, including from educators, professional bodies and existing practitioners. This comprehensive process recognised the differences in scope and complexity of practice between the two professions and ensures that the threshold standards and qualification levels set for each accurately reflect the competencies required for safe and effective practice, while strengthening public protection.

In line with the CPRB’s statutory responsibility to assess, balance and consider all perspectives before reaching a final evidence-based decision, the Board carefully considered every submission received and determined the final Standards and Criteria that will underpin entry to the registers for both counsellors and psychotherapists. This open, structured and inclusive process demonstrates CORU’s clear commitment to transparency, accountability, evidence-based decision-making, proportionality and, above all, the protection of the public.

The CPRB has undertaken extensive research, analysis, and public consultation to introduce regulation of each profession for the first time. This work has been informed by, and is in line with, requirements set out in the EU Proportionality Test Directive.

A comprehensive consultation report has been published by CORU, setting out the process followed, the key themes raised in submissions, and the rationale for the final decisions taken by the Board and is accessible at www.coru.ie/public-protection/publications/consultation-reports/counsellors-psychotherapists-registration-board/.

In July 2025 CORU published two key documents for each of these professions:

- Standards of Proficiency, which set out the minimum knowledge and skills required for entry to the Register.

- Criteria for Education and Training Programmes, which set the requirements for how professional training programmes are designed and managed to ensure graduates consistently meet the Standards of Proficiency.

The adopted Standards and Criteria reflect the threshold knowledge and skills required for safe practice at entry to the professions of Counselling and Psychotherapy. The introduction of consistent standards for the education and training of counsellors and psychotherapists marks a significant milestone, ensuring that those seeking support can have confidence in accessing appropriately trained and qualified practitioners.

I am confident that CORU’s work will bring clear benefits for public protection. The framework has been designed to strengthen standards of practice while ensuring that training pathways and workforce supply are not adversely affected.

I am assured that CORU will continue to engage closely with education providers, professional bodies, and other stakeholders as the regulatory process advances, keeping public protection at the centre of this work.

I am eager to see this work progressed so that two very important professions are finally regulated, in the interest of public protection.