Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - IACP

Lobbying Organisation Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - IACP

Date published 21 Jan, 2026

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Health

Period 1 Sep, 2025 to 31 Dec, 2025

Specific Details Raised concerns about the Publication of the Standards and Criteria for Counsellors and Psychotherapists by the Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board of CORU

Intended results For the Minister of Health to pause the CORU regulatory process for counsellors and psychotherapists to ensure that the Standards and Criteria are subject to a lawful, proportionate, and transparent regulatory process.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Lisa Molloy, 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 and government to call for changes to the CORU Standards and Criteria for Counsellors and Psychotherapists.

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Mass communications

Email All Oireachtas Members Requested that our members contact the Health Minister and their representatives in the Oireachtas to call for changes to the CORU Standards and Criteria for Counsellors and Psychotherapists..

Social Media All Oireachtas Members Called for changes to the CORU Standards and Criteria for Counsellors and Psychotherapists.

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (21-30)

The IACP emailed a targeted list of TDs and the Joint Committee on Health members, Dept of Health and CORU detailing the changes needed to the CORU Standards and Criteria for Counsellors and Psychotherapists and requested a meeting to further discuss the topic.

Meeting (6-10)

Shared our concerns with Deputies Roche, Sherlock, Ward, Quaide, Clarke, and McGettigan in meetings at Leinster House and online regarding the Publication of the Standards and Criteria for Counsellors and Psychotherapists by CORU and requested support in calling for a pause on regulation until issues are resolved.

Letter (2-5)

Shared our legal opinion on the lack of a proportionality assessment as part of the Publication of the Standards and Criteria for Counsellors and Psychotherapists with the Minister for Health and CORU.

Email (6-10)

The IACP sent our statement and other information regarding the Joint Committee on Health hearing on 26th November 2025 to the clerk and requested an update.

Meeting (1)

Meeting with the Department of Health Public Regulation Unit regarding our concerns with the Publication of the Standards and Criteria for Counsellors and Psychotherapists by CORU and requested that the Minister for Health pause the process.

Letter (1)

Memorandum in relation to the Consultation on Standards and Criteria adopted by CORU to the Minister for Health.

Email (1)

Follow-up email to the Department of Health Public Regulation Unit providing the IACP's Joint Committee on Health submission and requested a meeting in January.

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)

Séamus Keating Chairperson (Department of Health)

Claire O’ Cleary Chief Executive Officer (Department of Health)

Pádraig Rice TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Colm Burke TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael Cahill TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Sorca Clarke TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

David Cullinane TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Martin Daly TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Pádraig O'Sullivan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Peter Roche TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Marie Sherlock TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Liam Quaide TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Rachel Kenna Chief Nursing Officer (Department of Health)

Alesssandra Fantini Head of Unit (Department of Health)

Barry Ward TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Maria Byrne Senator (Seanad)

Tom Clonan Senator (Seanad)

Teresa Costello Senator (Seanad)

Nicole Ryan Senator (Seanad)

Mairéad Farrell TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Donna McGettigan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Claire O’ Cleary Chief Executive Officer (Department of Health)