A national working group to advise the Minister for Health on future measures necessary for the regulation of complementary therapists in Ireland was set up in May 2003.
This working group, which is chaired by journalist Teri Garvey, has members from complementary therapies such as acupuncture, homeopathy, medical herbalism, as well as representatives from the umbrella organisation, the Federation of Complementary Therapy Associations , and the Consumers Association of Ireland.
It is due to issue its first major report to the Minster for Health Mary Harney this autumn. The group has focused on three major areas: the need for independently monitored and evaluated courses in complementary therapies; the need for professional associations of therapists; and the need for a public information campaign so that people can learn how to check out therapists' qualifications and clinical experience before going for consultations.
On education and training issues, Garvey says good progress has been made to date. "Courses have varied unacceptably from correspondence courses to courses at degree level, both between and within different therapies, and together with representatives from the Department of Education, we are developing a system how certain courses can be evaluated and accredited by the Higher and Further Education Training Awards Council."
On the issue of professional associations of therapists, Garvey is keen to follow the example of other countries such as Britain where various societies within a therapy form a federation of societies which can act as a professional lobby group and a useful point of contact for the general public. "The thrust of regulation is to encourage one strong regulatory body such as the Yoga Federation of Ireland which represent various yoga societies and associations. It allows each group to hold onto a different ethos yet share resources and costs of continuing professional development," she explains. Other therapies such as acupuncturists and herbalists are working towards establishing federations. "It will also be useful for the public to have one register of practitioners which they can contact," Garvey says.
The third area which the National Working Group on the Regulation of Complementary Therapists has focused on is the need for a public information campaign on complementary therapies. "Members of the public have got to be very careful and ask questions such as 'What are your qualifications in this therapy?' 'Are you a current member of a professional register?'" says Garvey. However, she believes voluntary self-regulation of each therapy by its professional body is the way forward and not statutory regulation.
"Statutory regulation won't stop people inventing derivatives of therapeutic titles so if, for example, osteopath became a protected title, someone could still set up as a practitioner of the osteopathic technique. Statutory regulation also won't stop people going to spiritual healers or others who don't have any qualifications whatsoever."
The impetus for regulation of the complementary healthcare sector has come from within the sector as more and more people are turning to complementary therapies for help.