Press Release: Friday 30 October 2026
Minister for Health and Minister of State for Older People and Housing announce publication of first report of the Commission on Care for Older People
- The Module 1 Report of the Commission on Care for Older People examines the current provision of health and social care services and supports for older people within the national policy context.
- The Report details the lessons learned by the Commission during Module 1, which are informing the Commission’s deliberations in Module 2.
Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, and the Minister of State for Older People and Housing, Kieran O’Donnell TD, today announced the publication of the Module 1 Report of the Commission on Care for Older People.
The Commission on Care for Older People was established by the Government in 2024. Comprised of independent experts, it is chaired by Professor Alan Barrett (Economic and Social Research Institute). In fulfilment of the commitment in the Programme for Government: Our Shared Future (2020), the Commission was formed to examine how health and social care services and supports can best meet the needs of older people, and to develop a framework for strategic development.
The work of the Commission is being advanced through three consecutive modules. In Module 1 the Commission examined the effectiveness, adequacy and efficiency of the services and supports which are currently provided within the health and social care system for older people, bearing in mind the national policy landscape within which these are being delivered. This provides the evidence base for Module 2, in which the Commission will make recommendations for the future development of health and social care for older people. The work of the Commission is supported by a Reference Group which includes members of the community and voluntary sector along with those with lived experience.
In addition to the wealth of expertise that Commission members brought to the Module 1 Report, it has been informed by presentations from a wide range of experts; reports of meetings of the Reference Group; and international evidence briefs compiled by the Health Research Board. The findings of a public consultation on health and social care services and supports for older people, undertaken by the Department of Health on the Commission’s behalf, were also prepared by the All-Island Institute of Public Health.
Considering the provision of primary and community care, home support, supported living, residential care and dementia care as well as the challenges of ageing with disabilities, the role of technology, and funding and resource allocation, the Module 1 Report provides a comprehensive overview of the status quo in respect of health and social care for older people and a thorough analysis of its adequacy, effectiveness and efficiency.
Announcing the publication of the report, Minister Carroll MacNeill said:
“The Government established the Commission in 2024 because we recognised that, while our ageing population represents a remarkable achievement to be celebrated, the opportunities and challenges presented require a considered policy response, not least in terms of ensuring the sustainability of our health and social care system.
“Within this context, the publication of the Commission’s Module 1 Report represents an important milestone. It significantly enhances the evidence base for policy-makers as well as providing the foundation for the Commission’s recommendations for the strategic development of health and social care for older people in Module 2.
“I would like to thank Professor Barrett and all Commission members for their hard work and commitment to this important initiative and my colleague Minister Kieran O’Donnell for his dedication to advancing this work.”
Minister O’Donnell said:
“As Minister of State for Older People and Housing, I am strongly committed to providing older people with the best possible care and support to enable them to live their lives to the fullest in their homes and communities for as long as possible.
“The Commission’s Module 1 Report provides a wealth of evidence and insight to support the achievement of this objective. Highlighting the importance of healthy ageing, of challenging ageism and of supporting older people to live well, it demonstrates the value of preventative care and of the provision of holistic, person-centred, integrated care.
“I commend and thank Professor Alan Barrett as chairperson of the Commission and all the Commission members for the dedication, commitment and expertise they have brought to this very significant undertaking and body of work. I would also like to acknowledge the members of the Reference Group, and all who took part in the public consultation, whose knowledge and lived experience have made an invaluable contribution to the Commission’s work.
“The Module 1 Report will greatly inform the Commission’s deliberations in Module 2, and I look forward to its recommendations for the future development of health and social care for older people in Ireland. I am confident that the legacy of the Commission will be transformative and enduring. Its work will enable us to forge a future health and care system that is responsive to the needs and preferences of older people, supporting positive ageing.’’
Welcoming the report’s publication, Professor Alan Barrett said:
“As Chair of the Commission, I’m delighted that our Module 1 Report has been published today and I would like to thank Minister Carroll MacNeill and Minister O’Donnell for their unwavering support for our work.
“Since the Commission was established by Minister Donnelly and Minister Butler in March 2024, we have worked tirelessly to reach this important milestone and I would like to pay tribute to the dedication of Commission members.
“I would also like to acknowledge the strong engagement of our Reference Group and the support provided by our research team from the London School of Economics and the Economic and Social Research Institute. In addition, I would like to pay tribute to the professionalism and dedication of the officials in the Department of Health who have supported the Commission throughout its work.
“The Module 1 Report provides the foundation for our work in Module 2, ensuring that our deliberations are informed by the whole gamut of qualitative and quantitative evidence that pertains to the strategic development of health and social care for older people.”