SamsonIn short
- The Health (Amendment) (Home Support Providers) Act 2026 was signed into law on 1 July 2026. It will require home care providers to register with HIQA.
- It is not yet in force. The Minister for Health sets the start date by order, and we found no order on 24 October 2026.
- The national standards HIQA will inspect against are still in draft.
What has been signed
The Act sets up a scheme of registration and inspection for people who provide support services to older people and people with disabilities in their own homes. It amends the Health Act 2007. Read the Act on the Irish Statute Book. The Oireachtas records it as Act 17 of 2026, signed by the President on 1 July 2026.
Under the new section 69C, a person may not carry on the business of a home support provider unless registered. HIQA's Chief Inspector of Social Services will keep a register and inspect registered providers.
The Act's own term is "home support service", which it defines as support, because of illness, frailty or disability, with activities of daily living and similar tasks, mainly in the person's own home. It lists exceptions. For example, a person who provides the service to fewer than four people is not a "home support provider" under the Act. Check the Act's section 69B for the full list.
What is not yet in force
The Act comes into operation on a day the Minister for Health sets by order. We found no commencement order. That means registration is not yet required.
The Act leaves details to regulations, including the information a provider must give with an application. We did not find those regulations.
HIQA consulted on draft National Standards for Home Support Services from 4 November to 13 December 2024. HIQA's standards list on 24 October 2026 showed evidence papers for the draft standards but no final standards. We do not know when they will be final.
What the Act says about timing, once it starts
Providers already working when section 69C starts may keep going while their application is decided, if they follow two deadlines. Both run from the day section 69C comes into operation, not from the signing date:
- notify the Chief Inspector within three months that they provide home care and intend to apply; and
- apply to register within two years.
A registration lasts three years. A renewal application must be made at least six months before it ends, or by a shorter time the Chief Inspector sets.
Until a start date is set, those periods have not begun.
What providers can do now
These are our suggestions, not requirements:
- Check whether your service is likely to be a "home support provider" under section 69B.
- Read HIQA's draft standards. HIQA says it developed them so the sector can become familiar with them and adopt them voluntarily.
- Look at your records, policies, vetting arrangements and staff training. The Act says registration depends on being a fit person, on the standards and regulations, and on enough resources.
- Watch for the commencement order and for HIQA's final standards.
What this means for training
We expect providers to want staff who know the standards and can show their training. We plan a course on preparing for HIQA registration and inspection for home care, to be written once the start date and the final standards are known. For now, see the home care page and the other healthcare settings.
Samson's HIQA national standards and regulations course is the nearest course today. It is not written for home care.
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