Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 May 2026
949. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department has received legal advice regarding the State's safeguarding and patient-safety obligations in circumstances where national audit mechanisms are absent. [36534/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra951. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether any external or independent review has been commissioned into the adequacy of governance and safeguarding arrangements in healthcare pathways where national data systems remain under development. [36536/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra952. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether the Department considers reliance on general HSE governance structures, without dedicated national audit systems, sufficient to satisfy the State's obligations under patient-safety and safeguarding frameworks. [36537/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 949, 951 and 952 together.
Continuous quality improvement is embedded across all levels of our health service through strong leadership, the empowerment and support of staff, and meaningful engagement with patients.
The HSE operates under a robust governance framework, combining Board oversight, executive leadership, and statutory committees, all aligned with legal and regulatory requirements to ensure strong accountability, transparency, and high-quality service delivery.
In recent years, the HSE has strengthened its focus on quality and patient safety by establishing an integrated infrastructure for quality, safety, and risk management, with the goal of achieving excellence in clinical governance. The Chief Clinical Officer and his team provide system-wide oversight, ensuring safe practices are upheld and clear, high standards for quality and patient safety are consistently set and maintained.
The HSE, through its Incident Management Framework, requires that all patient safety incidents are identified, reported, and reviewed to ensure that learning is captured and shared, driving continuous improvements in the quality and safety of services.
The establishment of the HSE National Centre for Clinical Audit (NCCA) within the National Quality and Patient Safety (NQPS) in 2022 marked a significant advancement in strengthening patient care. Furthermore, the Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023 formally recognises and protects clinical audit, reinforcing its vital role in enhancing patient safety and supporting quality assurance.
HIQA is responsible for setting standards, inspecting and monitoring health and social care services, and advising on safety and quality in Ireland. HIQA is responsible for developing evidence-based standards and guidance for health and social care services, including hospitals, nursing homes, childcare centres, and other residential services. These standards cover governance, staff competency, safety, and person-centred care, providing benchmarks for service quality and safety. To ensure compliance, HIQA conduct inspections assessing whether service providers comply with national standards and regulation.
Safeguarding adults who may be at risk of abuse, harm, and neglect by others in the context of their interactions with the health and social care sector, is a key objective of the Department of Health, every statutory body under its aegis and every relevant service that interacts with such adults.
Currently, there are various structures and processes in place within the health and social care sector, to protect against abuse and ensure prompt action. This includes the HSE National Safeguarding Office under the governance of the Chief Social Worker, specialist Safeguarding and Protection Teams in each health region, designated Safeguarding Officers within services, specific regulatory requirements for residential care services which are inspected against by HIQA and the Mental Health Commission.
In 2024, the HSE implemented a single digital platform (Adult Safeguarding Portal) to standardise the reporting and referral of adult safeguarding concerns or allegations of abuse to Regional Adult Safeguarding and Protection Teams. The referral portal is a key element of the Online System for Adult Safeguarding (OSAS), which combines case management, referral and delegation functions.
In December 2025, the Government approved Ireland’s first ever National Policy Framework for Adult Safeguarding in the Health and Social Care sector. The policy framework will extend across all public, private and voluntary health and social care services.
Included are a range of both legislative and non-legislative commitments that will significantly expand and strengthen existing supports and protections for adults at risk of harm across the health and social care sector.
The Government has also approved the development of legislation to underpin these commitments, and my Department is actively working on drafting a General Scheme.
The HSE’s Chief Social Worker is developing an implementation plan for the policy framework and has established a HSE Implementation Oversight Group established to support the development of the implementation plan and to coordinate, monitor and drive delivery of the implementation plan.
