Written answers

Tuesday, 29 July 2025

Department of Health

Health Service Executive

Photo of Joanna ByrneJoanna Byrne (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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2743. To ask the Minister for Health if, in light of the recent RTE Investigates programme on a nursing home, she is satisfied that HSE safeguarding and protection teams are adequately skilled and resourced to meet their responsibilities in each of the six HSE regions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41787/25]

Photo of Kieran O'DonnellKieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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Safeguarding adults who may be at risk of abuse is a very important objective for me and my Department, and for all health and social care services.

A framework of standards, policies and procedures for safeguarding adults in the health and social care sector is in place. This includes a National Safeguarding Office in the HSE under the governance of the HSE Chief Social Worker, specialist Safeguarding and Protection Teams in each health region, training programmes on safeguarding policy and procedures, designated Safeguarding Officers within services and specific regulatory requirements for residential care services which are inspected against by HIQA and the Mental Health Commission.

Specifically in relation to nursing homes, targeted funding was provided in 2022 for additional social work posts in each of the regional safeguarding and protections teams to provide the teams with increased capacity to support nursing homes.

Further measures are now 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. It is expected that these sectoral policy proposals will be brought before Government shortly.

The policy will commit to the introduction of safeguarding legislation in the sector and will set out, at a high level, proposed new legislative provisions. The Government has included a Health (Adult Safeguarding) Bill in its current Legislation Programme to facilitate this legislation and drafting of the legislation will commence once the policy is finalised.

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