Annual Carers’ Forum

The Department of Social Protection (DSP) hosts the Annual Carers’ Forum each year, bringing together officials from DSP and other relevant government departments and agencies, carer representative groups and individual family carers.

The purpose of the Forum is to provide carers with a voice at policy level. It also provides an opportunity for engagement between officials and people experiencing care issues first-hand.

The Annual Carers’ Forum forms part of the DSP’s commitments under the National Carers’ Strategy (NCS). This is a cross-departmental strategy, led by the Department of Health, that sets the direction for future policies, services and supports provided by government departments and agencies for carers.

This year’s Annual Carers’ Forum takes place on Wednesday 28 May from 10am to 1pm.

You are invited to watch the Carers Forum live online.

You can view the agenda here.

There are 3 ways you can join the event Slido (where people can comment in realtime):

• scanning the QR Code
• going to slido.com and entering the code #CarersForum2025
• clicking on the following link: https://app.sli.do/event/nBeZSFGqTtVLesddemC2hD

Your feedback is important to us. If you have any comments, please share them directly on Slido.

Please note:

• we are unable to address questions during the livestream
• you may submit comments anonymously or include your name
• your comments may be included in the post-event note, which will be shared publicly

The Annual Carers’ Forum 2024 took place on Wednesday 22 May and can be viewed below:

(L to R: Teresa Leonard - Deputy Secretary General DSP, Zoe Hughes – CAI, Clare Duffy - FCI, Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys TD, Liam O’Sullivan – CEO, CAI and Catherine Cox – FCI)

A note of the proceedings of the Annual Carers’ Forum 2024 along with the presentations made on the day by Care Alliance Ireland (CAI) and Family Carers Ireland (FCI) are available below.

Note on Annual Carers’ Forum 2024

Care Alliance Ireland –The Online Family Carer Support Group Ireland – 4 Years On

Family Carers Ireland – Building a Community of Caring Employers

This year’s Annual Carers’ Forum took place on Wednesday 17 May 2023 and it can be viewed online here.

A Note of the proceedings of the Annual Carers’ Forum 2023 is available below, along with the presentations made on the day by Care Alliance Ireland and Family Carers Ireland.

Note on Annual Carers' Forum 2023

Care Alliance Ireland: Re-emerge The Next chapter is for you

Family Carers Ireland Presentation: Intensive Support Service An Overview and Case Study

The Annual Carers’ Forum 2022 was held online on 31 May 2022.

A Note of the proceedings of the Annual Carers’ Forum 2022 is available to read below.