Limerick public invited to attend in-person event about advance planning

Attendees can arrange one-to-one appointments to start their Enduring Power of Attorney application

The Director of the Decision Support Service (DSS), Áine Flynn, is inviting people across Limerick and surrounding counties who have been putting off planning ahead for the future to take advantage of one-to-one in-person appointments for making an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) and an Advance Healthcare Directive (AHD) taking place in Limerick City in September.

Held in partnership with the HSE and University Hospital Limerick, over two days staff from the DSS will host an information evening about advance planning and meet with members of the public to help them register their EPAs and AHDs. 

Bookings for one-to-one appointments are now open and will take place on Wednesday 9th September at the Castletroy Hotel in Limerick City from 10am, with the last appointment at 4:45pm. The appointments will be preceded by an information evening about advance planning, hosted by Áine Flynn, from 6pm-7pm on Tuesday 8th September, also at the Castletroy Hotel and this session is now too open for bookings.

The Decision Support Service is a state service established under the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 to support adults who may require assistance, now or in the future, to exercise their right to make decisions about their personal welfare, property, or affairs.

An EPA is a legal arrangement that can be set up by a person to appoint someone they know and trust to act as their ‘attorney’, with authority to make decisions about their property and financial affairs, and personal welfare, if the person loses capacity to make those decisions at some point in the future.

The ability to make an EPA has existed in Ireland since 1996, but approximately just 8% of adults in Ireland have made one. 

In 2025 there was a 156% increase in the number of EPAs registered compared to 2024, with 3,622 registered. By the end of July 2026, more than 3,400 had been registered.  In total the DSS has registered over 8,500 EPAs since opening its doors in April 2023.

Áine Flynn, Director of the Decision Support Service;said the DSS team is heading out on the road to Limerick as part of a campaign to encourage every adult in Ireland;to have the conversation with their loved ones and to start their EPA application.

“EPAs are a really important tool for planning ahead. When you make an EPA, you have laid out your wishes and named somebody that you know and trust to become your authorised decision maker, should you lose decision-making capacity in the future,” Ms Flynn said.

“Think of it as good life administration to put it in place before you may need it. Most people will make a will, but a will is for when you are gone. An EPA is for when you are very much still alive.”

“There are a number of steps involved in making an EPA. It is an important and binding legal arrangement that you will, in all likelihood, only do once in your life, so you want to make sure you get it right,” Ms Flynn said.

An EPA application can be started anytime online using the MyDSS portal, with alternatives available for applicants who are unable to utilise the digital process, even with support. The DSS has resources in various formats to provide information and guidance, and an EPA Helpdesk staffed by a team dedicated to assisting the public at every step of making and registering EPAs.

“For this event we are effectively bringing our EPA Helpdesk team on the road to Limerick to encourage people to start the process; to answer questions; and to progress applications,”Ms Flynn said.

People wishing to attend the Limerick information session and a one-to-one appointment can book their places by contacting the DSS on Freephone 01 211 9750, emailing EPAhelpdesk@decisionsupportservice.ie, or using the online booking form..

To prepare for their one-to-one session, attendees should attend the information evening at 6pm, Tuesday 8 September; create a MyGovID account if they don’t already have one; and consider whom they wish to nominate as their attorney, noting that it is also advisable to consider nominating replacement attorneys.

A checklist for people to get ‘EPA ready’ is available on the DSS website at the link EPA Checklistchecklist. 

“People in Limerick and surrounding areas who cannot attend these in-person sessions – or anyone in Ireland for that matter - can always contact a member of the EPA Helpdesk every day of the working week via phone or email for one-to-one support,” Ms Flynn said.

Any adult in Ireland wanting to know more about EPAs or to start the process can visit www.advanceplanning.ie, call Freephone 01 2119750, or email queries@decisionsupportservice.ie.