We provide an essential service for people who face difficulties and need support exercising their decision-making capacity. This may include, but is not limited to, people with an intellectual disability, acquired brain injury, mental health difficulty or dementia. This also includes all people who want to plan ahead for a time when they might lose their capacity.
We help to protect and uphold people’s rights to make their own decisions about their personal welfare, property, and affairs.
Our role is to:
- promote awareness and provide information about the Act
- regulate and register decision support arrangements
- maintain a searchable register of decision support arrangements
- supervise the actions of decision supporters
- maintain a panel of suitable persons who act as decision-making representatives, special visitors and general visitors
- investigate complaints
We also act as the Central Authority for matters relating to the Hague Convention on the International Protection of Adults.
The establishment and operation of the DSS is an important part of Ireland’s compliance with Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
Read more about what we will do here.