The Psychological Society of Ireland

Lobbying Organisation The Psychological Society of Ireland

Date published 11 Sep, 2025

Relevant Matter Legislation

Public Policy Area Justice and Equality

Period 1 May, 2025 to 31 Aug, 2025

Specific Details Open Letter from PSI’s Special Interest Group in Trauma and Adversity (SIGTA) to Ministers Calling for Legislative Reform to Protect Therapy Notes in Sexual Assault Trials

Intended results The PSI’s Special Interest Group in Trauma and Adversity (SIGTA) co-authored an open letter to five Ministers raising concerns about the use of therapy notes in rape and sexual assault trials. SIGTA highlighted that this practice undermined trauma-informed care and deterred survivors from seeking support, and called for urgent legislative and procedural reform to protect therapy notes, maintain clinical integrity, and ensure access to trauma-informed mental health services.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Dr Niamh Ni Dhomhnaill

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 (2-5)

The Psychological Society of Ireland’s SIG in Trauma and Adversity wrote to five Ministers raising urgent concerns about the use of therapy notes in rape and sexual assault trials. This practice undermines trauma-informed care, deters survivors from accessing therapy, and causes harm. SIGTA called for legislative reform to protect therapy notes and offered clinical expertise to support policy development.

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.

Norma Foley Minister (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)

Hildegarde Naughton Minister of State (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill Minister (Department of Health)

Jim O'Callaghan Minister (Department of Justice)

Mary Butler Minister of State (Department of Health)