New regulation for Irish homecare opens door to stability for providers

The Irish government revealed the proposed changes – the first time in many years that formal requirements have been brought into the sector – as part of a new bill published last month.

Under this new regime, providers will be required to ensure staff have the appropriate training and qualifications to offer the level of care needed, with standards to be drawn up and measured by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), Ireland’s independent body for driving the country’s health and social care services.

Providers will also face regular inspections, with requirements for better recordkeeping and clear documentation in a drive for greater transparency and structure within the care sector.

Dorian Rees, a healthcare expert with Pinsent Masons in Dublin, said the new approach and introduction would help build trust for the industry, and offer an opportunity for companies in the sector ready to adapt.

“For providers, the message is clear: prepare early, as regulation is intended to deliver safer, more reliable care for the people who depend on these services,” he said.

“Clear standards will replace uncertainty with predictability, giving families greater confidence in the support they receive and creating the stability investors look for. With defined rules and understood risks, private equity is far more willing to invest, and that capital can help build a stronger, more sustainable homecare system for everyone.

“At the same time, regulation may help build public trust. Families choosing homecare will have clearer information about quality. Providers who deliver strong services will have more ways to demonstrate it.”

As part of the new regulations, the chief inspector of social services in Ireland will have enforcement powers against companies which breach the legislation requirements.

Rees added that with regulation would come an opportunity for more stable funding and commissioning opportunities, and better management of operational risk for investors into the sector – with providers recommended to begin reviewing their training and governance arrangements to ensure they can meet the new standards.

“Ireland’s new homecare regulation will raise standards, increase accountability, and reshape the provider landscape,” he said.

“While the transition will require effort, it promises clearer expectations, higher quality care, and stronger public confidence.”

The regulation comes as Ireland looks to adapt to the increased demand for home support services and an increasingly aging population.

Irish health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said the new rules represented a first for Ireland’s approach to care.

“Regulation is fundamental to ensuring that all service users are provided with high quality care with the same minimum standards wherever and however it is provided, in line with best international practice,” she said.

“Amongst 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.”