Compliance Obligations Register

The HSE Compliance Obligations Register (COR) is a list of statutory, regulatory, and policy obligations that HSE employees must comply with to ensure that HSE services meet high standards for quality and value of service to the public.

Failure to comply with these obligations undermines public and stakeholder trust in the HSE.

The current COR has over 500 external obligations and over 850 internal obligations (policies, procedures, protocols, and guidelines (PPPGs). The COR will be updated quarterly so that the HSE is aware of any new or changing compliance requirements.

The COR is a valuable resource for HSE employees, particularly those involved in compliance, risk management, audit, and governance.

Why implement a COR?

We must keep a record of compliance obligations to meet regulatory requirements.

A compliance obligations register improves:

• risk management - by addressing legal and regulatory risks
• compliance - by identifying which laws and regulations apply to the organisation
• efficiency - by reducing the time and resources needed to track, document, and report on compliance-related tasks, allowing resources to be directed to the right activities
• accountability - by effectively managing and tracking obligations to ensure compliance, and owners of principal obligations are identified
• collaboration between teams and departments - by interactions associated with the register

Compliance Obligations Register Q4 2025

The register contains a listing of HSE obligations (internal and external). These obligations are itemised in chronological order based on when they were enacted.

HSE Compliance Obligations Register Q4 2025 (PDF, 1.3 MB, 22 pages)

External obligations (pages 2-8)

External obligations include laws, regulations, public policy and directives. Over 500 external obligations are currently listed.

Internal obligations (pages 9-22)

Internal obligations include policies, protocols, procedures, guidelines, and HR circulars designated as PPPGs. There are currently over 850 items on the internal register.

To make it easier to look through the register, the internal COR register is divided into separate categories:

• HR circulars
• National Central Repository documents
• IT policies and procedures
• National Financial Regulations
• Other PPPGs

The updated COR directs staff to 4 active HSE landing pages, making it easier to find the internal obligation's published documents and related subject matter experts. Many of these PPPGs exist to ensure that the organisation meets its external obligations.

Latest updates to the COR

External obligation additions in Q4 2025

• Citizens Information Act 2007
• Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017
• SI 52/2019 - Social Care Workers Registration Board Code Of Professional Conduct And Ethics Bye-Law 2019
• SI 358/2020 - European Union (Accessibility of Websites and Mobile Applications of Public Sector Bodies) Regulations 2020
• SI 478/2023 - Social Care Workers Registration Board Approved Qualifications Bye-Law 2023
• SI 502/2023 - Social Care Workers Registration Board Application For Registration Bye-Law 2023
• SI 503/2023 - Social Care Workers Registration Board Criteria For Restoration To The Register Following Removal On Request Bye-Law 2023
• SI 504/2023 - Social Care Workers Registration Board Criteria For Restoration To The Register Following Cancellation Of Registration Bye-Law 2023
• SI 505/2023 -Social Care Workers Registration Board Return To Practice Bye-Law 2023
• SI 661/2024 -Social Care Workers Registration Board Approved Qualifications Bye-Law 2024
• Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025
• SI 458/2025 - Planning and Development (Prescribed Persons - Statutory Plans) Regulations 2025
• SI 502/2025 - Medicinal Products (Prescription and Control of Supply) (Amendment) (No.3) Regulations 2025
• SI 507/2025 - Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (Education and Training required to prescribe medicinal products in accordance with a Common Conditions Service) Rules 2025
• SI 508/2025 - Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (Continuing Professional Development) (Amendment) Rules 2025
• SI 509/2025 - Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (Registration) (Amendment) Rules 2025
• SI 572/2025 - Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (Section 95(3A)) (Supplementary List of Qualifications Required By Existing Social Care Workers) Regulations 2025
• SI 587/2025 - European Union (Recognition of Professional Qualifications) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2025
• SI 625/2025 - Medicinal Products (Prescription and Control of Supply) (Amendment) (No.4) Regulations 2025
• Diagnosis, staging and treatment of patients with breast cancer (2015)
• Diagnosis, staging and treatment of patients with prostate cancer (2015)
• Diagnosis, staging and treatment of patients with rectal cancer (2020)
• Department of Health- National Open Disclosure Framework (2023)
• The Path to Universal Healthcare: Sláintecare and Programme for Government 2025+

Internal obligation additions in Q4 2025

• HR Circular 017 2025 Annual leave and notice period for resignations and retirements
• HR Circular 018 2025 CORU Registration for Social Care Workers, Leaders, Managers
• HR Circular 019 2025 Integrated guidance on health clearance of healthcare workers and the management of healthcare workers living with bloodborne viruses
• HSE National Clinical Guideline for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Hypoglycaemia in Adults with Diabetes Mellitus in Acute and Non-Acute Settings
• HSE National Clinical Guideline for the Management of Paediatric Type 1 Diabetes Patient who did not attend (DNA), were not brought or repeatedly cancels their appointments
• HSE National Clinical Guideline for: Status Epilepticus: Management in children and adolescents from 1 month to 18 years
• HSE National Clinical Guideline: Integrated discharge guidance for children and young people with Life-limiting conditions transitioning to a community care setting for end-of-life care
• HSE National Clinical Guideline: Management of Paediatric Type 1 Diabetes Patient with an Intercurrent Illness (hospital)
• HSE National Clinical Guideline: Post-treatment follow-up of patients with breast cancer
• HSE National Oral Care Guideline - Supporting Smiles for Health and Social Care Teams supporting daily oral care for adults who require assistance
• HSE National Policy and Procedure for the Management of Intoxicant Misuse 2025
• HSE National Procedure for requesting indemnification for individuals required to support commissioned reviews
• Protocol for Reporting and Management of cases of Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (CJD) and other Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs) or of a person at increased risk of a TSE
• Standards for Quality Assurance in Cervical Screening Standards for Quality Assurance in Colposcopy
• Children First Implementation and Compliance Self-Audit Checklist for HSE and HSE Funded and contracted Services
• Guidelines for safe and effective near-patient testing (NPT)
• Standard Code of Governance and Management Required for HSE Reference Research Ethics Committees
• Trauma Triage Tool and Trauma Access Protocol
• HSE Climate Action Strategy 2023-2050
• Management of Major Trauma in Older Adults
• Procedure for prevention of peripheral and central venous catheter related infection
• Standards for Quality Assurance in Cervical Screening Quality Assurance in Primary Care and Other Cervical Screening Settings
• Standards for Quality Assurance in Cervical Screening Quality assurance in programme operation
• Anaesthesiology Medical Workforce In Ireland 2023-2038
• HSE Business Travel Policy
• Protocol for the management of acute traumatic brain injury in non-neurosurgical hospitals
• Trauma Team definition document
• Management and Control of Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) in all Health and Social care Settings
• Quality Assurance (QA) Policy Framework for the National Screening Services
• Severe Weather Planning Guidance for HSE Services
• Standards for Quality Assurance in Cervical Screening Quality Assurance in Laboratories Providing HPV Testing, Cytology and Histopathology Services
• Model of Care for all Children and Young People with Type 1 Diabetes
• Planned Trauma Care Model of Care

External obligations withdrawn in Q4 2025

• National Standards for Residential Care Settings for Older People in Ireland (HIQA) (see 2012 entry)
• National Standards For Adult Safeguarding (HIQA and Mental Health Commission Publication) (see 2012 entry)

Internal obligations withdrawn in Q4 2025

• Guidelines on Minimising the Risk of the Transmission of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies in Healthcare Settings in Ireland
• Model of Care for the Provision of Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion for the treatment of Type 1 Diabetes in the Under Five Age Group
• Guidelines for Antimicrobial Prescribing in Primary Care in Ireland
• Updated Guidelines on Screening for Carriage of Resistant Enterobacteriaceae in Ireland 2014
• Acute Management of TIA
• Urinary Continence Post Stroke
• Emergency Medicine - Infection Prevention and Control at Triage for Adults
• Service Arrangements and Grant Aid Agreements - Guidelines for Performance Monitoring
• Foreign and domestic air travelfor staff of the Health Service Executive
• SOP 10 Decontamination of Reusable Invasive Medical Devices (RIMD)
• Infection Prevention and Control Guidelines

External obligations revised in Q4 2025

• Government of Ireland - Climate Action Plan 2025

Internal obligations revised in Q4 2025

• CAMHS Operational Guideline
• HSE National Clinical Guideline for Cauda Equina Syndrome
• HSE National Clinical Guideline: Treatment of patients with breast cancer (radiation oncology)
• HSE National Policy for Consent in Health and Social Care Research
• HSE National Policy on the Management of Sharps and Prevention of Sharp Injuries 2025
• HSE National Procedures for the Handling of Protected Disclosures 2025
• HSE National Records Retention Policy
• HSE Standards and Recommended Practices for Central Decontamination Units
• Standards for Quality Assurance in Colorectal Screening
• HSE Master Medicine Protocol for the Administration of Comirnaty JN.1 10 micrograms/dose dispersion for injection COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine (for children aged 5-11 years)
• HSE Master Medicine Protocol for the Administration of Comirnaty JN.1 3 micrograms/dose concentrate COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine (for infants and children aged 6 months-4 years)
• HSE Master Medicine Protocol for the Administration of Comirnaty JN.1 30 micrograms/dose COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine to Vaccine Recipients aged 12 years and older
• HSE Master Medicine Protocol for the Administration of MMRVAXPRO (MMR - Measles, Mumps and Rubella) live vaccine for MMR catch-up vaccination programme and in the event of an outbreak
• HSE Master Medicine Protocol for the Administration of Priorix (MMR - Measles, Mumps and Rubella) live vaccine for MMR catch-up vaccination programme and in the event of an outbreak
• HSE Medicine Protocol for the administration of Tetravac (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis and Poliomyelitis) vaccine (adsorbed) by registered nurses and registered midwives to children/students in primary/schools through a Schools Immunisation Programme
• HSE National Centre for Clinical Audit-Clinical Audit - A Practical Guide

Adding an obligation to the COR

The COR aims to provide a comprehensive list of HSE obligations. We cannot guarantee that all obligations have been included due to the large number of obligations that apply to an organisation of this size.

If you have an obligation to include in the COR or identify an obligation for removal, email central.compliancefunction@hse.ie

Contact

Email: central.compliancefunction@hse.ie