Ireland Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in ireland, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Healthcare
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Overview

Ireland’s healthcare system continues to evolve under a dual public and private model. The Department of Health retains overall regulatory authority, while the Health Service Executive (HSE) manages operational delivery. Life expectancy in Ireland remains among the highest in Europe, at approximately 83 years. However, persistent challenges such as waiting times, regional access inequalities, and workforce pressures continue to affect the system. In response, the Irish Government’s 2025 budget allocated a record level of funding to healthcare, marking the largest investment in the state’s history. 

In the 2025 budget, the Irish Government allocated $30. 2 billion to healthcare, marking the highest level of funding ever committed to the sector and an increase of $3. 4 billion on 2024. The budget prioritizes workforce expansion and service enhancement, supporting more than 3,300 additional health and social care staff and $58 million allocated for the addition of extra hospital beds. The increased budget also enables significant growth across acute hospitals, mental health services, older-person services, palliative care, and the National Ambulance Service. Key targeted investments include $38 million to enhance cancer services, $41million for a women’s‑health package that features free hormone‑replacement therapy and expanded assisted‑reproduction services and $35 million devoted to new medicines through expanded medicines‑budget savings. An additional €1. 4 billion has also been set aside for capital investment, including hospital infrastructure, medical equipment, and digital health systems. 

This funding increase highlights the Irish Government’s commitment to strengthening the healthcare system, addressing workforce and capacity challenges, and improving access to care. Investments in staff, hospital capacity, mental and women’s health, and digital infrastructure position Ireland to deliver more efficient, equitable, and patient-centered healthcare in the coming years. 

Healthcare services in Ireland are organized across four main categories: acute care, primary care, continuing care, and community‑based services (including disabilities, mental health, social inclusion, and children and family welfare). The delivery system is mixed, comprising public, voluntary and private providers. The hospital sector includes both public and private hospitals; public hospitals treat both public and private patients. There are now 85 hospitals in Ireland, of which 79 % are publicly administered. On admission to a public hospital, patients may choose to be treated on either a public or a private basis by their consultant. Private hospitals continue to play a key role, offering diagnostics, day‑case surgery, inpatient and other associated acute services. As of 2023, Ireland had approximately 2. 89 hospital beds per 1,000 inhabitants, and recent research by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) projects that public acute hospitals will need to increase inpatient bed capacity by at least 40 % by 2040, highlighting both the growing demand on the system and the urgency of capacity expansion. 

Leading Sub-sectors

Significant sectors include diagnostic equipment, imaging and surgical systems, cancer services, chronic disease management, mental health services, women’s health services, maternity and gynecology services, disability services, eHealth/digital health solutions, telehealth & telemedicine, home & community-based care solutions and assisted-living products, and palliative care services. 

Policy

The Irish Government remains committed to Sláintecare, its long-term reform toward a universal, single-tier healthcare system. Key achievements since 2021 include abolishing inpatient charges for children under 16, expanding GP access, and increasing healthcare workforce numbers, alongside investments in community-based care, mental health, elder care, and disability services. 

In parallel, the Digital for Care 2024-2030 framework, published by the HSE in mid-2024, establishes a national roadmap for digital transformation. It seeks to connect all parts of the health and social-care system through shared electronic health records, interoperable platforms, and enhanced data security. \

Regulation

On the regulatory front, U. S. firms must remain attentive to evolving EU medical device and diagnostics regulation. U. S. companies exporting to Ireland must comply with EU medical device regulations (MDR/IVDR), including recent 2025 updates on supply interruptions, device classification, and digital instructions for use. Given the complexity and pace of regulatory change, U. S. companies should partner with on‑the‑ground regulatory experts and closely monitor updates from the European Commission, the Medical Device Coordination Group (MDCG), and Irish regulatory authorities. 
Opportunities

Ireland remains an ideal gateway to Europe for U. S. exporters, offering a stable, English-speaking, and business-friendly entry point into the EU market. The country’s healthcare sector is internationally connected and receptive to innovations that improve productivity and patient outcomes. Strong professional ties with the United State, where many Irish medical specialists train or conduct research, and long-standing partnerships exist between U. S. and Irish universities and hospitals, further create a favorable environment for American companies introducing healthcare technologies, devices, and services both in Ireland and across Europe. 

Medical Devices

Demand for efficient, high-quality medical equipment continues to grow in Ireland, driven in part by the country’s strong preventive-health focus, including national screening programs for breast, cervical, bowel, and diabetic-retina conditions. U. S. suppliers offering cost-effective and time-saving diagnostic tools can find a ready market. Success in Ireland, however, often depends on having a local presence, typically through a distributor or representative to facilitate sales, provide follow-up services, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Establishing on-the-ground support helps build trust with hospitals and clinics, streamline logistics, and enhances long-term market penetration. 

Digital Health

Digital health represents one of the most dynamic areas of reform. Ireland’s digital-transformation plan envisions an interconnected system of electronic patient records, telemedicine services, remote-monitoring platforms, and cybersecurity resilience. The 2021 cyberattack on the HSE remains a catalyst for sustained investment in data security and digital infrastructure. U. S. firms with proven experience in secure health-IT systems, interoperability, and AI-driven clinical analytics are well positioned to participate. 

Women’s Health and Community care

Women’s and reproductive health continue to receive sustained budgetary focus, with the introduction of state-funded in-vitro fertilization (IVF) services and nationwide free contraception creating new procurement opportunities for medical technologies, laboratory systems, and reproductive-health services. At the same time, home and community-based care is expanding as the government moves care delivery closer to patients, driving demand for telehealth platforms, remote-monitoring devices, assistive technologies, and mobility or rehabilitation equipment. 

Public Tenders 

The public procurement system offers a structured entry route for exporters. All Irish government and HSE tenders are advertised on eTenders Ireland. Electronic tendering is now the norm across the EU, and early registration is essential for companies interested in upcoming projects under the National Development Plan 2018–2027, which continues to fund capital projects in health infrastructure.

Resources

Resources


For more information about Ireland’s Healthcare sector, please contact:

Julianne O’Leary
Commercial Advisor
U.S. Commercial Service Ireland
Tel: +353-1-237-5862
Email: Julianne.OLeary@trade.gov

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