• We the undersigned call on the Government to introduce a Care Partner Scheme in Irish law to ensure that the rights of people in residential settings to see their families are legally protected. The Northern Ireland executive endorsed this scheme in September 2020 and other countries have also acted to protect access to family life for residents. These schemes are well established, operate safely and support resident well-being.

We call on the Irish Government now to step up and provide the same protection to people living in care settings in Ireland. 

It is the job of the Government to protect the most vulnerable in society. Residents and their families do not want lip service, policies or promises. They want their legal right to family life protected and enforced in their care settings. They want the Irish Government to take the same steps as have been taken elsewhere by Governments in countries where the rights of older people and people with disabilities are valued.

Family life is not a luxury add on in the lives of residents, we call on the Government to enshrine and protect rights to family life in law as a matter of urgency