1191. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health the actions being taken to raise the level of psychotherapy standards and criteria; the level with which she and her Department have engaged with the sector on this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64585/26]

As the Deputy is aware, CORU is Ireland’s multi-profession health and social care regulator. Established under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005, CORU’s role is to protect the public by regulating the health and social care professions designated under the 2005 Act.

CORU’s Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board (the board) was established in 2019 and since then has been working to progress regulation of both professions.

The board has statutory responsibility for:

- Establishing and maintaining a register of members of both professions

- Assessing, approving and monitoring education and training courses

- Establishing the Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics and standards of performance to which counsellors and psychotherapists must adhere.

CORU and the board have undertaken very significant research and stakeholder engagement at all stages of the process to regulate counsellors and psychotherapists and CORU continues to engage with all stakeholders as it moves towards the regulation of these professions.

In July 2025 CORU published two key documents for the psychotherapy profession:

- Standards of Proficiency, which set out the minimum knowledge and skills required for entry to the register of psychotherapists.

- Criteria for Education and Training Programmes, which set the requirements for how professional training programmes are designed and managed to ensure graduates consistently meet the Standards of Proficiency.

These requirements set out the level of education and clinical training needed to practise safely and effectively. Setting these standards has now laid the foundations so education programmes can be designed to ensure consistency of education and training and the standards for entry into practice for psychotherapists.

In early 2026 I met with the main professional representative organisations in response to concerns raised around the standards and criteria for psychotherapists. Officials from my Department had also previously met these organisations.

I subsequently met with CORU to discuss the issues raised.

I am satisfied that CORU has taken an appropriate risk-based and outcomes-focused approach to setting its Standards of Proficiency and Criteria for Education and Training Programmes. Its priority is to ensure that graduates meet clearly defined outcomes - namely, the knowledge, skills and competencies required for safe and effective practice on entry to the register - rather than prescribing how education providers design or deliver their programmes.

I am supportive of this approach which maintains clear and enforceable regulatory expectations, while allowing flexibility in how education providers demonstrate that standards are met.

The board has commenced the next phase of its work to introduce regulation for the psychotherapy profession, with a focus on preparing for the approval of education and training programmes.

The standards and criteria have been issued to education providers, and they have been allowed a 4-year period to align their programmes to the board’s regulatory requirements. Once this 4-year period concludes, the board will commence a process of programme approval to assess whether the education and training programme meets its standards.

Since the publication of the standards and criteria, CORU have continued to engage with the sector meeting with more than 20 professional representative bodies and education providers. More recently, they organised an event attended by 9 professional bodies where CORU provided an update on engagement with education providers.

CORU and my Department are committed to delivering regulation of this very important profession. Psychotherapists perform a vital role, providing therapeutic care to often vulnerable people. The introduction of regulation will ensure that any member of the public seeking support can have confidence in the high standards of education, training, conduct, and competence of their psychotherapist.