The role of the Elder Abuse National Implementation Group (EANIG) is to oversee the implementation of Protecting Our Future - A Report of the Working Group on Elder Abuse (2002).

The annual report of the EANIG covers areas of progress, and lack thereof, from recommendations provided in the above report. It is paramount to the Group that the prevention and management of elder abuse, while covering many elements of health and social care, requires a communal response, including action by the financial, legal and education sectors.

Reported progress made by the Health Service Executive (HSE) on elder abuse includes:

• The establishment of a National Elder Abuse Steering Committee October 2007

• The appointment of 3 Dedicated Elder Abuse Officers and 28 Senior Case Workers

• Approximately 4,000 Health Service Executive staff were given training in elder abuse awareness in 2007

• The Health Service Executive established the multi-agency Elder Abuse Media/Public Awareness subgroup to develop a public awareness campaign on elder abuse

• The National Research Centre on Elder Abuse was establishment to develop advocacy services

• A major increase in the number of referrals to Elder Abuse Services in 2007 indicates a marked improvement in tackling the issue.

While the report remarks on the clear need for a whole-government approach to oversee non-health recommendations to tackling elder abuse, it communicates its disappointment that the Department of Finance has no direct role in tackling the issue of financial abuse. While reports along the same vein by the Financial Ombudsman make it clear that significant room for improvement is possible in this area.

The report continues that the Department of Education and Science has indicated that it does not have a role in relation to issuing directives on training courses for professions that may come into contact with elder abuse. While it is also unclear if the Department of Social and Family Affairs has training or audit activities in promoting prevention, detection and management of elder abuse in the area of pensions.

One major issue of concern to the Group is the lack of progress on developing legislation to provide for Garda access in situations where there is concern that elder abuse is taking place and where access is not available in order to get consent.