HIQA begins review of national standards for residential care of older people

The Health Information and Quality Authority has begun a review that will inform whether Ireland’s national standards for residential care settings for older people require updating.

HIQA announced the review on 18 August 2026. It will initially examine how person-centred care is defined and delivered in residential services, followed by a review of relevant international standards.

The findings will be presented to the Department of Health, which will use them to inform a decision on whether the existing national standards should be revised.

Ireland’s National Standards for Residential Care Settings for Older People were first published in 2009 and updated in 2016. HIQA said the sector has changed substantially since that update, pointing to legislative reforms, the development of larger residential settings, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and increased use of digital and technology-enabled care. The authority also identified the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act as one of the developments affecting the wider regulatory and technological environment.

Rachel Flynn, HIQA’s Director of Health Information and Standards, said the review was intended to ensure that the standards continued to reflect current evidence and best practice.

Under the Health Act 2007, HIQA develops national standards describing what safe, high-quality and person-centred health and social care should look like. Those standards must be approved by the Minister for Health.