On 9th May, 2025, PKF Brenson Lawlor hosted an insightful breakfast seminar focused on the growing Home Care sector in Ireland at the Radisson Blu Hotel near Dublin airport.
Titled 'Strategies for Growth and Excellence', the event was held in collaboration with Home Care Community Ireland (HCCI) and was attended by many professionals and business owners from across the country.
The speakers focused on three broad themes: the future of the sector, business updates and regulations.
"I think the main point made today is that healthcare is an important issue for Ireland, including Home Care. We have seen huge growth in the sector, number one asset class in the world. Home Care fits very nicely under the umbrella of healthcare, with a budget of EUR 838 million from the government. So huge budgets, it's increased by 71% since 2020. The budget's only going one way, driven by the demographics in this country. It's a huge opportunity for new operators and existing operators to expand in the sector. The sector is in its infancy, it's only 20 years old in terms of commercial, private companies in the sector. So, huge growth potential.
There was a great buzz in the room today about the future. Regulation is going to be good for the sector, investors like regulation, it'll help drive margins and standards. It's good for the clients, for the country, for the operators. So yeah, a good day all around," said Jason Bradshaw, Corporate Finance Partner, PKF Brenson Lawlor.
"Well I learned today that there's actually a lot of investment going into the sector. So government funding has doubled, but then there is a lot of investment from the providers and that is going into their staff. We're seeing growth in wages, benefits, training opportunities, etc. A lot of investment going into growing the service, into expanding into new areas, and also using technology to offer new services and deliver the best care for clients and keep staff happy and motivated," said Jamie Farrelly, Policy and Advocacy Lead, HCCI.
"A phrase used today was 'Trust the Care' and it's a great phrase, asking us to move away from the current model in Ireland focused on time and tasks and instead adopt the Nordic model of trusting the provider of the care, and the carer themselves, on a daily basis, to adapt the care to suit the needs of the client," concluded Joseph Musgrave, CEO, HCCI.
