Irish Council for Psychotherapy (Irish Council for Psychotherapy)

Lobbying Organisation Irish Council for Psychotherapy

Date published 18 Sep, 2025

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Education and Training

Period 1 May, 2025 to 31 Aug, 2025

Specific Details The ICP is a united group speaking on behalf of psychotherapists and psychotherapy training schools, which operate to rigorous standards of competence and professionalism. Funding for Wellbeing and Mental Health Supports in Post-Primary Schools / Department of Education Counselling in Primary Schools-Pilot (CPS-P) 2023-2025 https://tinyurl.com/afyjy85y

Intended results Session Limitations is ICP’s central concern. Short-term psychotherapeutic support services are neither intended nor designed to address the psychological consequences of adverse & traumatic childhood experiences. Nor are they designed to identify & assess the different layers of psychological complexity within the student population. ICP want to be included in any emerging conversations; to contribute to the dialogue & make the case for the provision of psychotherapy in schools in Ireland. To protect the high & rigorous standards of training; to approve the use of state-aided school funding to avail of the services of psychotherapists in private practice according to each school’s unique context, culture & environment; to amend the Value-Added Tax Consolidation Act 2010 to make psychotherapy services VAT exempt in line with services provided by other health & social care professions including those of psychologists. These remain priority issues for ICP.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Rúaidhrí O'Connor (CEO)

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Letter (1)

ICP CEO contacted Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD (Minister for Health) (Fine Gael) to seek a briefing meeting. Eoghan Flynn (Private Secretary to the Minister for Health) communicated that due to a full schedule of Diary & Government business Minister Carroll MacNeill was unable to meet, but asked that Department officials meet with ICP CEO in the first instance. They arranged a meeting for late August 2025.

Meeting (1)

Principal Officers (Professional Regulation Unit) (Mental Health Unit) & 3 other officials met the ICP CEO & 4 Board Directors in-person. ICP pushed the role/expertise of ICP & its member organisations, & public safety issues arising from CORU standards & communicated that a new policy paper responding to the standards is being finalised by ICP for submission to the Minister. A Principal Officer (PRU) referred to the importance of the European dimension & mobility of professional workforces.

Meeting (1)

Alessandra Fantini, (Principal Officer) (Professional Regulation Unit) & unit staff met ICP CEO & 4 Board Directors in-person to discuss issues re: regulation of the psychotherapy profession. The agenda was (1) ICP public safety concerns re: recently published CORU Standards of Proficiency & Criteria for Education for psychotherapists (2) the grade of psychotherapist within Irish public health services. ICP was also open to any additional items the Department officials might want to discuss.

Letter (1)

ICP CEO contacted Jim O'Callaghan TD (Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration) (Fianna Fáil) re: Garda Vetting for self-employed psychotherapists working with children & vulnerable adults. Following recent legal advice, ICP ceased offering Garda Vetting to its self-employed registrants via a service agreement previously in place with Dublin City Volunteer Centre (DCVC) vis-à-vis DCVC providing support to ICP re: processing vetting applications received from self-employed registrants.

Email (1)

Emma McHugh (Private Secretary to the Minister for Justice) responded on the Minister's behalf. The feedback was that Minister understands the challenges some self-employed professionals face in accessing this process, particularly those working independently in sensitive roles such as psychotherapy. The Garda National Vetting Bureau (GNVB) confirms that there is, in GNVB’s opinion, no legal impediment to ICP conducting vetting on behalf of psychotherapists, whether self-employed or otherwise.

Email (1)

ICP CEO contacted Jim O'Callaghan TD (Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration) (Fianna Fáil) for further clarification re: Garda Vetting. He outlined several examples as to where the Department feels ICP is qualified as a relevant organisation? ICP’s clear legal advice is that ICP cannot be viewed as a relevant organisation under the legislation.

Email (1)

Emma McHugh (Private Secretary to the Minister for Justice) responded on the Minister's behalf. The feedback was that neither the Minister nor the Department can provide legal advice or interpret legislation. It is open to ICP to obtain further independent legal advice if ICP wish. The recommendation was that ICP contact the Garda National Vetting Bureau directly, as they are best placed to advise ICP.

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill Minister (Department of Health)

Jim O'Callaghan Minister (Department of Justice)