The Cabinet is set to approve the introduction of new measures to strengthen the safeguarding of vulnerable adults both in care settings and at home.
The remit of the Health Information Quality Authority (Hiqa) will be significantly extended to include oversight of adult safeguarding services delivered by the Health Service Executive in health and social care settings.
The new powers will form part of a new policy framework for adult safeguarding in these sectors. The new policy is a programme for government commitment to ensure that adults at risk – including those with disabilities and who are elderly – are safeguarded effectively against abuse and harm.
The second policy instrument will be new legislation which will require providers of home support services to vulnerable adults to register with Hiqa and make it an offence to operate a home support service without registration.
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Both measures will be brought to Cabinet on Tuesday by Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, in conjunction with the Minister of State for Older People, Kieran O’Donnell.
The package will include powers of entry for safeguarding and protection teams and powers to obtain court protection orders. It will also require the mandatory reporting of safeguarding concerns in specified circumstances.
Hiqa’s remit will be extended to include independent oversight and monitoring of adult safeguarding services for the health and social care sector delivered by the HSE.
Anybody providing home support services will be required, under the new legislation, to meet minimum requirements as part of an effort to raise the quality and consistency of home care nationally.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton will brief ministerial colleagues that more than two-thirds of eligible schools have now drawn down funds for mobile phone storage.
The scheme to introduce pouches for storage of phones during the school day was announced by Ms Naughton’s predecessor, Helen McEntee, at a cost of €9 million.
The new Minister will tell colleagues that 472 schools have received payments to date at a cost of €6.4 million.
Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O’Donovan will also outline his plans for new online safety measures for children and teenagers, including an age-verification tool piloted through a so-called digital wallet. He hopes to introduce a pilot scheme for this change in early 2026.
Minister for Children Norma Foley will bring a memo to streamline the process for children and their families seeking an assessment of need pertaining to disability.
Ms Foley, in conjunction with Minister of State Emer Higgins, will set out plans for new guidelines for assessment officers that will make clear the process should be focused on the needs of the child rather than on a complex examination of the diagnosis of disability.
A memo on the final steps being taken before the launch of the long-awaited auto enrolment scheme will be presented by Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary.
