A number of "very strange people" are advertising themselves as psychotherapists and counsellors and can do "real harm", Minister for Health Leo Varadkar has warned.

He said the professions had to be regulated and "we must ensure we get it right". Mr Varadkar insisted the matter "is not on the back burner" as his party colleague Dan Neville TD raised concern about the length of time it was taking to put regulation in place.

Mr Neville, a veteran campaigner on mental health issues, said “any person can put up a sign and say he or she is a counsellor or psychotherapist and charge the usual fee of around €80 an hour to perform” such services.

He said former minister for health James Reilly had accepted that it was extremely dangerous for such untrained people to do so and that regulation should take place.

Mr Varadkar said Dr Reilly had consulted the Health and Social Care Professionals Council, as he was obliged to do and that the Department of Health recently received its detailed report, which was being examined.

The Minister said regulation was being introduced on a phased basis and registration boards had been established in eight of 14 social care professions.

Mr Varadkar acknowledged that “there a number of very strange people out there advertising their services as psychotherapists, counsellors and all sorts of other things. Not only may they not be very good, they can also do real harm in certain circumstances.”

Mr Neville said “it is dangerous for untrained and unskilled people to probe a person’s unconsciousness. We are dealing with extreme human vulnerability and serious damage can be done to such delicate people.”

Mr Neville, a Limerick deputy, highlighted advertisements for “a so-called advanced diploma in suicide studies”, which can be completed over seven weekends. There are two weeks for suicide prevention, two weeks for suicide intervention and two weeks for post-intervention. That makes up an advanced diploma in suicide studies,” and anyone, with no qualifications could attend.

Mr Neville said the eating disorder organisation Bodywhys had told him of another diploma programme. The diploma was granted over eight-weekends, costing €370 per module and up to €3,000 for the eight-week programme.

He added that Bodywhys had quite extensive complaints about treatment by unregulated counsellors. Mr Neville also said the National Office for Suicide Prevention of the HSE had warned that people in distress should avoid these services because “counsellors may not be fully trained and may not be basing their counselling on best advice”.

Mr Varadkar said there were strong differences of opinion on these issues among the various professional bodies representing counsellors and psychotherapists in Ireland.

Insisting that they had to get regulation right, he said a number of issues needed to be considered, “including whether it will be one profession or two, which titles should be protected and which should not, given that people can always invent a new title and start to provide a service under it”.

He said the issue was not on the back burner and “the next stage will be a further consultation once we know what direction we are going in”.