Eoin Ó Broin
Question:1641. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health if there are currently any plans to add play therapists to the professions regulated by CORU; and if not, if it will be considered. [39636/22]
View answerTuesday, 26 July 2022
Questions (1641)
Written answers
As the Deputy is aware, CORU is the multi profession health and social care regulator in the State.
There are 17 health and social care professions designated for regulation by CORU under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 and currently there are registers open for 10 professions. Play therapists are not designated for regulation under the Act. Section 4 of the Act does, however, provide that, following a consultation process and with the approval of the Houses of the Oireachtas, the Minister can make regulations designating a health or social care profession not already designated.
More than twenty unregulated professions have approached the Department seeking to be regulated, included in this list are play therapists. The issues to be considered regarding the proportionate degree of regulatory force required to protect the public are complex. In light of the various issues to be considered, and in line with ongoing work in my Department, the Health Research Board were requested to carry out research on behalf of the Department to assist in policy development in this area. The report, “National Approaches to Regulating Health and Social Care Professions”, examines the approaches to the regulation of health and social care professionals internationally and is publicly available on the Department’s website (www.gov.ie/en/publication/ea62b-national-approaches-to-regulating-health-and-social-care-professions/).
My officials are in the process of drawing from this report and other relevant sources in the development of policy for the regulation of health and social care professionals into the future.
In the meantime, CORU continues the complex work of preparing for regulation under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 those professions already designated.