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Significant milestone as Minister O’Donnell secures passage of Health (Amendment) (Home Support Providers) Bill 2025 through both Houses of the Oireachtas
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From: Department of Health
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Minister of State for Older People and Housing, Kieran O’Donnell T.D., has secured the final passage of the Health (Amendment) (Home Support Providers) Bill 2025 through both Houses of the Oireachtas. The legislation will now go to the President of Ireland for her consideration.
Minister O’Donnell said:
“I am really pleased as Minister of State for Older People and Housing to have now brought the landmark Health (Amendment) (Home Support Providers) Bill 2025 through both Houses of the Oireachtas, following its passage through Seanad Éireann yesterday evening.
“Under this Bill, for the first time in Ireland, all home support providers will be regulated.
“Home support is a vital service that is delivered to many people across the country every day by public, private and voluntary providers. It is essential that it is properly regulated nationwide.
“Legislating for the reform and regulation of home support has been a key priority for Government and represents an integral first step in the design of a statutory homecare scheme to allow people to live in their own home for as long as possible, as committed to in the Programme for Government.”
Through amendments to the Health Act of 2007, the Bill will introduce, for the first time, the registration and regulation by HIQA and the Chief Inspector of Social Services of all home support providers in Ireland. Among other measures, it will provide the Chief Inspector with a range of powers and will make it an offence to provide a home support service without being registered. The Chief Inspector will also be responsible for monitoring and assessing compliance by registered home support providers against regulations and HIQA standards.
Minister O’Donnell thanked Deputies and Senators for their support and constructive engagement on the legislation and acknowledged and thanked Department of Health officials for their work on the Bill.
Minister O’Donnell concluded:
“I hope this Bill will be formally enacted shortly following consideration by the President. The new system of regulation for home support services will ensure that the public can be confident that the services provided are of a high standard and will bring Ireland in line with best international practice.”
ENDS
Notes to the editor:
The Health (Amendment) (Home Support Providers) Bill 2025 seeks to amend the Health Act 2007 in order to provide for the introduction of:
- Primary legislation for the registration of home support providers
- Regulations for home support services which will set out the minimum service requirements that a provider must meet to be registered, and
- HIQA quality standards.
These regulations will offer quality assurance to service users that their service meets the same minimum standards, wherever and however it is provided. The introduction of a statutory framework to provide independent oversight of home support providers will ensure increased compliance with regulations and quality standards thus increasing public confidence in home support services.
The main provisions of the Health (Amendment) (Home Support Providers) Bill 2025 include:
- Amending the functions of HIQA and the Chief Inspector of Social Services to include reference to home support services
- Procedure for applying for registration
- Establishment of a register of home support providers
- Procedures for revoking registration, varying conditions or imposing new conditions
- Appeals process for decisions of the Chief Inspector
- Prohibitions in relation to unregistered home support providers
- Transitional arrangements for existing home support providers
- Offences and penalties
- Empowers the Minister for Health, in consultation with the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, as appropriate, to make regulations in respect of minimum standards for home support providers.
- Empowers the Minister for Health, in consultation with the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, as appropriate, to make regulations to provide for the collection, sharing and publication of key data by the Chief Inspector relating to home support services.