Minister for Health publishes the Implementation Plan for the recommendations of the Report of the Interdepartmental Working Group on the Rising Cost of Health-Related Claims

The Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has today published the Implementation Plan for the recommendations of the Report of the Interdepartmental Working Group on the Rising Cost of Health-Related Claims.

In July 2024 the government accepted the recommendations of the Report and established an Implementation Group to drive forward their implementation. The Programme for Government commits to implement the recommendations of the Report.

The Report identified six strategic priorities to reduce the requirement for litigation in healthcare and improve the litigation process for those taking this path. It set out a comprehensive set of 30 recommendations that span a range of government departments and agencies.

The focus of the work of the Interdepartmental/Agency Implementation Group, established in September 2024, has been to ensure that the recommendations made are implemented without delay and culminates in the Implementation Plan which was noted by Cabinet on Tuesday 14 October 2025 and published today.

The Implementation Group will continue its work to ensure progress is made on the recommendations, monitor progress against the actions and timelines set out in the plan, and report on progress, in accordance with its Terms of Reference.

Since the publication of the Report in September 2024, and in tandem with the work of the Implementation Group on the drafting of this plan, a number of recommendations have been substantially implemented, including:

• the launch of the National Open Disclosure Framework in 2023
• commencement of the Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023 in September 2024
• issue by the President of the High Court in April 2025 of two new High Court Practice Directions concerning clinical negligence proceedings

Read the Implementation Plan.

The Interdepartmental/Agency Implementation Group is chaired by the Department of Health and is comprised of membership from relevant government departments and agencies, including the Department of Justice, Health Service Executive, Courts Service, State Claims Agency, and the Department of Children, Disability and Equality. The Group has held 12 meetings to date.