Health Information Act 2026

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Number 10 of 2026


HEALTH INFORMATION ACT 2026


CONTENTS

PART 1

Preliminary and General

Section

1. Short title and commencement

2. Interpretation

3. Regulations

4. Service of documents

5. Expenses

6. Review of operation of Act

PART 2

Duty to Share

7. Duty of health services provider to share personal health data with other health services providers

8. Copies of personal health data to be furnished at patient’s request

9. Steps to be taken by health services providers on cessation of provision of health services

PART 3

Electronic Health Records

10. Creation and assignment of Electronic Health Records by Executive

11. Information to be contained in Electronic Health Records

12. Use of personal public service number

13. Access to Electronic Health Records

14. Restrictions on access to Electronic Health Records

15. Information on access to Electronic Health Records

16. Regulations in relation to accessing Electronic Health Record

17. Uses of Electronic Health Record

18. Electronic exchange of information in Electronic Health Record with third country

19. Request to provide personal health data for purposes of Electronic Health Record

20. Non-compliance with a request under section 19(2)

21. Guidelines

PART 4

Provision of Health Information to Executive

22. Provision of health information to Executive

23. Non-compliance with a request under section 22

24. Use of health information obtained by Executive under section 22

PART 5

Amendment of Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023

25. Amendment of section 68 of Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023


Acts Referred to

Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 (No. 64)

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Act 2011 (No. 21)

Companies Act 2014 (No. 38)

Data Protection Act 2018 (No. 7)

Dentists Act 1985 (No. 9)

Disability Act 2005 (No. 14)

Freedom of Information Act 2014 (No. 30)

Health Act 2004 (No. 42)

Health Act 2007 (No. 23)

Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 (No. 27)

Health Identifiers Act 2014 (No. 15)

Interpretation Act 2005 (No. 23)

Medical Practitioners Act 2007 (No. 25)

Nurses and Midwives Act 2011 (No. 41)

Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023 (No. 10)

Pharmacy Act 2007 (No. 20)

Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (No. 26)

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Number 10 of 2026


HEALTH INFORMATION ACT 2026


An Act to give further effect to Regulation (EU) 2025/327 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 February 20251 on the European Health Data Space and amending Directive 2011/24/EU and Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 and for those and other purposes to provide for a duty for health services providers to share, in certain circumstances, a patient’s personal health data with other health services providers also providing care and treatment to the patient; to provide for the creation and assignment by the Health Service Executive of an Electronic Health Record in respect of every patient; to provide for the information that shall be contained in an Electronic Health Record; to provide that a health services provider shall record the personal public service number of each of his or her patients; to provide that the Health Service Executive may, where appropriate, use a personal public service number to identify a patient; to provide for access to all, or part of, an Electronic Health Record by certain categories of person; to provide for the restriction of such access in certain circumstances; to provide a patient with information in relation to access to his or her Electronic Health Record; to provide for the Minister to make regulations for the purposes of this Act; to provide for the purposes in relation to which an Electronic Health Record may be used; to provide that the Health Service Executive may enter into reciprocal arrangements with other jurisdictions in relation to the exchange of information contained in an Electronic Health Record; to provide that the Health Service Executive may request health services providers to provide the Health Service Executive with certain classes of personal health data; to provide that the Health Service Executive may request certain persons to provide the Health Service Executive with certain categories of health information; to provide that the Health Service Executive may make an application to the Circuit Court where a person fails to comply with a request; to provide for the purposes for which the Health Service Executive may use health information provided to it in accordance with this Act; to provide that the Health Service Executive shall prepare and publish guidelines for the purposes of this Act; to amend the Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023 ; and to provide for related matters.

[30th April, 2026]

Be it enacted by the Oireachtas as follows:

1 OJ L, 2025/327, 05.03.2025