David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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101. To ask the Minister for Health the status of adult safeguarding legislation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10086/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Safeguarding adults who may be at risk of abuse is a key objective of my Department, every statutory body under its aegis and every relevant service that interacts with such adults. A framework of standards, policies and procedures for safeguarding adults in the health and social care sector is in place, and further measures are being developed to strengthen this framework.

The Programme for Government 2025 "Securing Ireland’s Future" includes a commitment to publish a national policy on adult safeguarding for the health and social care sector. My Department, in liaison with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, is at an advanced stage of finalising this policy to further strengthen the existing protections in the sector.

To facilitate the development of appropriate legislation to underpin this sectoral policy, subject to its approval by the Government, the Government has included a Health (Adult Safeguarding) Bill in its current Legislation Programme. It is expected that these sectoral policy proposals will be brought before Government in the coming months, and that the preparation of related underpinning legislation will commence thereafter.