Limerick residents invited to "plan ahead" at decision support event
Director of the DSS, Áine Flynn, has invited 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.
The Decision Support Service (DSS) will be hitting the road to Limerick City, to meet with people wishing to make an enduring power of attorney (EPA) and an advance healthcare directive (AHD).
Director of the DSS, Áine Flynn, has invited 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.
Held in partnership with the HSE and University Hospital Limerick, staff from the DSS will host a two-day event in the Castletroy Hotel.
On Tuesday, September 8, Ms Flynn will host an information evening regarding advanced planning from 6pm until 7pm.
On Wednesday, September 9, one-on-one appointments will be available from 10am to 4:45pm to help members of the public register their EPAs and AHDs.
Advanced booking is required for both the information evening and one-on-one appointments.
According to the DSS website, the ability to obtain an EPA has existed in Ireland since 1996, yet only 8% of people have done so.
The DDS said the purpose of this dedicated event in Limerick is to "really encourage adults in the region to start the conversation with their loved ones and get their EPA applications and AHDs underway, making the most of in-person assistance from a dedicated team of DSS staff."
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, financial affairs, and personal welfare if the person loses capacity to make those decisions.
It is a common misconception that a 'next of kin' can make these decisions in the event of loss of capacity. Outside of a formal legal arrangement, such as an EPA, this is not the case.
In 2025, there was a 156% increase in the number of EPAs registered, from 3,622 in 2024.
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.
Ms Flynn said 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. 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 explained.
To prepare for their one-to-one session, attendees should attend the information evening, create a MyGovID account if they don’t already have one, and decide whom they wish to nominate as their attorney, noting that it is also advisable to consider nominating replacement attorneys.
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 [email protected], or using the online booking form.
A checklist to help attendees get ‘EPA ready’ is available on the DSS website.