Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 21 Nov 2002

Vol. 557 No. 6

Written Answers. - Alternative Medical Sector.

Liz McManus

Question:

72 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children the main features of the recent report commissioned by his Department regarding regulation of the alternative medical sector; if it is intended to implement the recommendations contained in the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22896/02]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The report on the regulation of practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine in Ireland highlighted the requirement for strengthening the regulatory environment for complementary and alternative therapists. The report emphasises that this should be achieved, in the first instance, by means of enhanced self-regulation.

The main recommendations in the report are as follows: the consultation process involving complementary therapists and other stakeholders should be continued and developed; voluntary self-regulation of individual therapies should be strengthened; individual therapies should be encouraged to establish registers of qualified members; research should be carried out on the efficacy and outcomes of complementary and alternative therapies and the evidence base for each therapy; and, as part of the consultation process, a national working group should be set up to examine and consider regulatory issues. Other activities of the proposed national working group would include: gathering statistics on complementary therapies in Ireland; gathering information on educational programmes being provided; and developing an agreed approach to continuous professional development, CPD, with the bodies representing individual therapies.

At the launch of the report on 14 November, I announced the establishment of the national working group which will progress the implementation of the recommendations of the report. This working group will be chaired by Ms Teri Garvey, the broadcaster and educationalist.