Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 11 September 2023
1903. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health if creative art therapists will be considered on the upcoming CORU registration under psychotherapy and psychology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39147/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be 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), including setting the standards that health and social care professionals must meet to be eligible for registration and maintaining registers of persons who meet those standards.
Seventeen health and social care professions are designated for regulation by CORU. There are currently registers open for eleven professions and CORU is continuing the substantial work required to open the registers for the remaining designated professions of Social Care Workers; Psychologists; Counsellors and Psychotherapists; Clinical Biochemists; and Orthoptists.
CORU’s regulatory model is based on protection of title; once a profession is regulated it becomes a criminal offence to use a professional title if a person is not a CORU registrant. CORU is responsible for investigating and prosecuting the use of protected titles by unregistered persons.
The Psychologists Registration Board (PSRB) was established in 2017 and the Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board (CPRB) was established in 2019. The work of both registration boards includes consideration of the titles to be protected, the minimum qualifications to be required of existing practitioners, the qualifications that will be required for future graduates, and drafting the Standards of Proficiency and Criteria for Education and Training Programmes.
Once statutory regulation is introduced to the psychology, counselling and psychotherapy professions, practitioners wishing to work using these titles in the Republic of Ireland will have to register with CORU on the appropriate register. The CPRB and PSRB will set the standards of education and training for entry to the registers and approve and monitor education and training programmes in psychology, counselling and psychotherapy.
Practitioners who meet the standards of education and training set by the CPRB and PSRB can apply to be granted registration and entered onto a register of their profession. Registrants will then be entitled to use the titles of Psychologist, Counsellor, and Psychotherapist.
Owing to the significant body of preparatory work that the PSRB and CPRB are required to undertake, it is not possible to say with any degree of accuracy when the professions of psychology, counselling, and psychotherapy will be fully regulated. I would anticipate that these registration boards will require a number of years to complete their work.
I hope this information is of assistance.
