Call for adult safeguarding legislation after rise in reports of elder abuse

Safeguarding Ireland chairperson Patricia Rickard-Clarke: 'We don’t have adult safeguarding legislation, that is the big gap.'

More people are reporting abuse of older people, new HSE data shows, but advocates fears a gap in safeguarding legislation means the ability to help victims is limited.

In Cork and Kerry, 341 concerns were reported to the local HSE Safeguarding and Protection team last year, with 369 reports in 2021, and 331 made in 2019.