Pat Buckley
Question:203. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of establishing a regulatory body for counsellors and therapy services in tabular form. [28497/18]
View answerThursday, 28 June 2018
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Regulations to designate the professions of counsellor and psychotherapist under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 and to establish the Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board were approved by both houses of the Oireachtas on 22 March 2018. I am pleased to advise that I have since signed the regulations, which will come into force on 2 July 2018.
The regulation of these professions will not require the establishment of a regulatory body. The professions will be regulated by the Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board under the governance of the Health and Social Care Professionals Council (CORU), which was established as Ireland’s multi-profession health regulator under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005. The designating regulations will bring the number of professions regulated by CORU to sixteen. CORU was allocated €3,135,000 in State funding for 2018 in respect of the ongoing implementation of the 2005 Act and the regulation of all professions designated under the Act. It is envisaged that the Council will become self-financing in due course as the registers for all sixteen designated professions are established on a phased basis. The annual registration fee is €100.
The Public Appointments Service will undertake an advertisement campaign later this month inviting suitably qualified and experienced persons to apply for lay and professional positions on the thirteen person registration board. I will then make the appointments and CORU will arrange for the board to hold its first meeting later this year. There is no remuneration payable in respect of these board appointments. Travel and subsistence is payable in accordance with approved civil service rates.