Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - IACP

Lobbying Organisation Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - IACP

Date published 19 Sep, 2025

Relevant Matter Legislation

Public Policy Area Justice and Equality

Period 1 May, 2025 to 31 Aug, 2025

Specific Details Use of Therapy Notes in Legal Cases Involving Sexual Assault in Ireland.

Intended results The IACP Calls for the End of the Use of Therapy Notes in Legal Cases Involving Sexual Assault in Ireland.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Nicole Mac Dermott

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? Yes

What is the directive you gave to the grassroots campaigners? Requested that our members contact their representatives in the Oireachtas to call for the end of the use of therapy notes in legal cases involving sexual assault in Ireland.

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Mass communications

Email All Oireachtas Members Requested that our members contact their representatives in the Oireachtas.

Social Media All Oireachtas Members The IACP posted our Therapy Notes statement on social media platforms and the IACP website.

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (2-5)

The IACP emailed a targeted list of Ministers requesting a meeting regarding action on our Therapy Notes statement.

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)

Mary Butler Government Chief Whip and Minister (Department of the Taoiseach)

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

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

Jim O'Callaghan Minister (Department of Justice)