Elder abuse has been increasingly recognised as a concern in Ireland in recent years. Following the publication, in 1998, of an exploratory study entitled

 Group on Elder Abuse (WGEA) was established to provide advice and recommendations on what was required to effectively and sensitively address the issue. The report of the Working Group on Elder Abuse, published in 2002, recommended a formal national review of policy and procedures on elder abuse, and a number of changes to legislation and legal procedures necessary to protect older people. In June 2003, the Law Reform Commission, an independent statutory body charged with keeping the law under review and making practical proposals for its reform, published a Consultation Paper on Law and the Elderly, which also made provisional recommendations concerning legal mechanisms for the protection of older people.