Enda Kenny
Ceist:42 Mr. E. Kenny asked the Minister for Health if, in view of the widespread use of prescribed drugs within the health service, he will recognise bio energy as a bona fide therapy; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Alternative Medicine.
Avril Doyle
Ceist:77 Mrs. Doyle asked the Minister for Health if, in view of the increasing importance of bio energy towards the treatment of illnesses and injuries, he will establish an expert review committee to investigate the success or otherwise of this therapy; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 42 and 77 together.
The area of activity referred to in the Deputies' questions is one of the areas which is described under the generic heading of alternative or complementary medicine. The entire issue of alternative and complementary therapies has traditionally been a difficult and very controversial one.
In this country, practitioners of these therapies are free to practice so long as they do not represent themselves as being registered medical practitioners and so on. Practitioners in these areas are not employed in the public health service. Their position as regards their private dealings with their clients would be subject to the generality of civil law. The position in the United Kingdom is the same.
Having regard to the very miscellaneous and diverse nature of the complementary therapies, my general approach to this issue would be to encourage the various therapies to establish their own representative associations and to put in place such appropriate structures of self-regulation as they themselves deem appropriate. They can also, of course, undertake to inform the general public and orthodox registered medical practitioners and other health care professionals about the availability of services from reputable therapists.
As Deputies will understand, I am not in a position to pronounce on the efficacy or effectivness of this or that alternative or complementary therapy, or on the bona fides of individual therapists and practitioners.
I think it would be undesirable for my Department to become involved in this complex area by attempting to adjudicate upon various claims and counter-claims made in relation to alternative and complementary medicine, thereby being drawn into disputes between the established conventional health care professions and the "alternative" groups, and into disputes between the various alternative therapies themselves.