Ministers launch new National Policy Framework for Adult Safeguarding in the Health and Social Care Sector
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From: Department of Health
- Published on: 9 December 2025
- Last updated on: 9 December 2025
Today Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, and Minister of State for Older People and Housing, Kieran O’Donnell, launched Ireland’s first National Policy Framework for Adult Safeguarding in the Health and Social Care Sector.
This landmark policy framework aims to expand and strengthen adult safeguarding across the health and social care sector to ensure adults at risk are safeguarded effectively against abuse and harm.
It sets out a framework of measures to empower and support people to protect themselves, to reduce the risk of abuse occurring and to ensure concerns or allegations of abuse are reported and responded to quickly and effectively.
The government has today also approved the development of legislation to underpin commitments in the policy framework.
Significant elements of the policy include:
- the policy and forthcoming legislation will apply to all health and social care providers – public, voluntary and private
- an emphasis on a rights-based approach that respects the autonomy of individuals and reflects the principles of the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act, 2015
- the Health Service Executive (HSE) will have responsibility for leading and coordinating adult safeguarding across the sector and will have statutory functions, duties and powers to underpin this role
- current safeguarding structures within the HSE will be strengthened and legislation will provide that they will operate independently in the performance of their functions
- new powers of entry for safeguarding and protection teams and powers to obtain court protection orders
- the Health Information and Quality Authority’s (HIQA’s) remit will be extended to include independent oversight and monitoring of adult safeguarding services for the Health and Social care sector delivered by the HSE
- new obligations for service providers including undertaking risk evaluations, developing and publishing adult safeguarding statements and ensuring staff are appropriately trained
- the introduction of mandatory reporting in specified circumstances
- the National Independent Review Panel (NIRP) process for adult safeguarding learning reviews for serious incidents will be strengthened and placed on a statutory footing
- strengthened cooperation between service providers and relevant state agencies
- dedicated implementation structures will be established, including processes for engaging with experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience, and an implementation plan will be developed by the HSE to support implementation
Minister Carroll MacNeill said:
“This Policy Framework sets out our commitment to developing a robust adult safeguarding system across the health and social care service. It provides for a holistic approach to safeguarding with an emphasis on empowerment, prevention and effective response and intervention.
“Everyone has a fundamental right to be safe. Abuse or neglect of any adult at risk of harm is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated.
“We are committed to developing adult safeguarding legislation to underpin this policy and my department will be advancing this as a matter of priority next year.”
Minister O’Donnell said:
“As Minister for Older People, I am very pleased that we are publishing the first ever sector-wide policy framework on adult safeguarding for the Health and Social care sector. The framework balances legislative reforms with measures to drive a strengthened culture of safeguarding on the ground in every service.
"To be progressed as a matter of priority, the legislation will provide a comprehensive range of strong safeguards to ensure adult safeguarding operates effectively.
"A strong culture of safeguarding is critically important to improve the daily lived experience of adults at risk who use our health and social care services. I want to see a culture where poor care, poor practice or abusive and inappropriate behaviours are not tolerated and one in which high quality care, transparency and learning is promoted.”
Minister Foley said:
“I welcome the new policy on Adult Safeguarding in the Health and Social Care Sector, particularly due to the protections it will provide for disabled people. We know how important it is to ensure that every individual receiving support from health services and disability services is protected effectively against the risk of abuse and harm when necessary. Safeguarding is everybody’s business. We must all work together to ensure there is a focus on continually enhancing safeguarding across all services and indeed society.”
Amanda Casey, Chief Social Worker in the HSE said:
“I welcome this important national policy. This is another significant step towards embedding human rights at the core of health and social care services.
“This policy framework will require all service providers to take steps to ensure that all adults using their services are treated with dignity and respect, and that they are protected from harm. Policies which support good governance, which identify clear roles and responsibilities, which enable collaboration and cooperation, and which put the voice of the person using the service at the centre are important enablers of culture change across all services.
“This policy provides a roadmap for strengthening adult safeguarding in the coming months and years and the HSE looks forward to working with the Department of Health and with all partners and stakeholders to ensure full implementation across the health and social care sector.“
Notes
The development of this National Policy Framework is a Programme for Government commitment.
The policy framework sets out how safeguarding will operate in the health and social care sector and will provide a guiding framework of policy and legislative measures to expand and strengthen existing supports and protections in the sector.
The policy was informed by stakeholder and service user engagement, public consultation, and research and by recommendations from the Law Reform Commission (2024 Report) and the 2024 independent review of HSE’s adult safeguarding policies, procedures and structures (by Jackie McIlroy).
Following publication of this National Policy Framework for Adult Safeguarding in the Health and Social Care Sector, the Department of Health will progress the drafting of a General Scheme of a Safeguarding Bill to support implementation of this policy.