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Our international experience shows that Ireland’s legal environment is an outlier; healthcare professionals and patients alike will face a process that is unnecessarily long and stressful and fraught with high legal costs. These issues have a significant impact on the mental wellbeing of everyone involved.

Over the past two years, Medical Protection has been actively campaigning to reform Ireland’s clinical negligence system. We’ve been advocating for tort reforms, especially pre-action protocols.

Pre-action protocols are a set of guidelines, laid out through legislation, which explain the conduct and steps a court expects parties to take before claims proceedings can commence. This encourages claims to be settled outside of the court and litigation, and reduces the time the claims process takes.

We’ve been working at every level – from influencing governmental reports, to being present in the Dáil, and coordinating a joint call to action. We’re beginning to see real momentum, but we don’t want it to end here…

Our advocacy timeline

    

   January 2024

 
We launched our report The human and financial cost of clinical negligence claims: the case for pre-action protocols, calling for urgent reforms. The report received wide coverage across Ireland.
 

   September 2024

 
The Government’s Interdepartmental Working Group on the Rising Cost of Health-related Claims, published a report about reforms that were needed. Our data highlighting the unacceptably high costs and long delays, and our recommendations on the urgent implementation of pre-action protocols, were quoted throughout the report.
 

   November 2024

 
Ahead of the General Election, MPS published our Priorities for the Next Government of Ireland. We reminded the new Government that successive calls to help mitigate the impact of the current, protracted processes as well as reduce legal costs, had yet to be implemented.
 

   November 2024

 
In their 2024 General Election manifestos, two of the largest political parties in Ireland, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, committed to the Interdepartmental Working Group’s recommendations – including urgent action to implement pre-action protocols.
 

   January 2025

 
In the wake of the General Election, the Draft Programme for Government is released which reaffirms the coalition party’s commitment to various tort reforms.
 

   March 2025

 
Medical Protection hosted an event in the Dáil and invited TDs, medical, dental and legal stakeholders. Over 20 politicians attended from all different parties, highlighting support from across the political spectrum. Rhona Mahony, Chair of the Interdepartmental Working Group, and large firms in Ireland, joined our expert panel. One message came through loud and clear: we can’t afford to wait any longer, the required legislation and amendments have been made, and we need the political focus to push this over the line.
 
   May 2025

 
Medical Protection coordinated and co-signed a joint letter to Ministers for Health and Justice, signed by 14 leading healthcare and legal organisations. The letter called for urgent implementation of pre-action protocols, further emphasising the long and costly nature of claims in Ireland compared to other countries.
 

   June 2025

 
You may have spotted our campaigning work being highlighted in Medical Protection publications, including a spotlight in the Dáil event in March. Take a look at the latest publications here.
 
  

 
January 2024
We launched our report The human and financial cost of clinical negligence claims: the case for pre-action protocols, calling for urgent reforms. The report received wide coverage across Ireland.
 

 
September 2024
The Government’s Interdepartmental Working Group on the Rising Cost of Health-related Claims, published a report about reforms that were needed. Our data highlighting the unacceptably high costs and long delays, and our recommendations on the urgent implementation of pre-action protocols, were quoted throughout the report.
 

 
November 2024
Ahead of the General Election, MPS published our Priorities for the Next Government of Ireland. We reminded the new Government that successive calls to help mitigate the impact of the current, protracted processes as well as reduce legal costs, had yet to be implemented.
 

 
November 2024
In their 2024 General Election manifestos, two of the largest political parties in Ireland, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, committed to the Interdepartmental Working Group’s recommendations – including urgent action to implement pre-action protocols.
 

 
January 2025
In the wake of the General Election, the Draft Programme for Government is released which reaffirms the coalition party’s commitment to various tort reforms.
 

 
March 2025
Medical Protection hosted an event in the Dáil and invited TDs, medical, dental and legal stakeholders. Over 20 politicians attended from all different parties, highlighting support from across the political spectrum. Rhona Mahony, Chair of the Interdepartmental Working Group, and large firms in Ireland, joined our expert panel. One message came through loud and clear: we can’t afford to wait any longer, the required legislation and amendments have been made, and we need the political focus to push this over the line.
 

 
May 2025
Medical Protection coordinated and co-signed a joint letter to Ministers for Health and Justice, signed by 14 leading healthcare and legal organisations. The letter called for urgent implementation of pre-action protocols, further emphasising the long and costly nature of claims in Ireland compared to other countries.
 

 
June 2025
You may have spotted our campaigning work being highlighted in Medical Protection publications, including a spotlight in the Dáil event in March. Take a look at the latest publications here.
 

Get involved and support the campaign

Your voice counts and it’s crucial that policy makers hear from healthcare professionals.

The more voices calling for change, the more likely we are to see these crucial reforms implemented.

Will you help us by emailing your local TDs?

We’ve created a pre-written example email for you to send to your representatives, to make it as easy as possible for you to get involved. Simply click the buttons below and download our template, before editing your details and adding your TD's name and email address.

Advocating for you

Thank you for your support of our campaigning efforts over the last year and a half - your voice, alongside ours, is key to keeping this issue high on the agenda.

Please be assured that Medical Protection will continue to speak up on our members behalf, staying at your side to create a fairer, more supportive legal environment for everyone involved.

We’ll keep you updated as we continue to push for implementation of these long-overdue reforms.
 

Contact the Policy and Public Affairs team

If you have any questions about this campaign or anything else, the MPS policy and public affairs team is available to contact during usual office hours (8.30am – 5.30pm, Monday to Friday) using the details below.

Megan Bennett Policy & Public Affairs Manager
Email: [email protected]

Alice O'Flynn Policy & Public Affairs Officer
Email: [email protected]