The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has today published the National Health Dataset Catalogue Requirements and Specifications Report. This will help to inform a National Health Dataset Catalogue for Ireland, which is currently in development under the ‘HealthData@IE’ project. This project is led by the Department of Health (DoH) in collaboration with HIQA, the Health Research Board (HRB), key stakeholders within the Health Service Executive (HSE), and across the wider health system.

A National Health Dataset Catalogue will ensure that the data we collect in Ireland is discoverable at both a national and European level. The National Catalogue will support sharing and using health information for policy-making, health service management and planning, education and training, research and innovation, and the preparation of national statistics.
The National Health Dataset Catalogue will become a key component of Ireland’s national infrastructure to provide a central, easy-to-use resource where data users can explore Ireland’s datasets and how they can be accessed responsibly. The creation of a central platform will enhance transparency, strengthen data governance and support better planning and decision-making across Ireland’s health system.

This new National Catalogue builds on existing work, as HIQA has maintained a catalogue of national health and social care data collections for over a decade, with the most recent edition released in 2022. HIQA’s existing catalogue currently accounts for 132 health and social care datasets and provides an important baseline for understanding Ireland’s health information landscape.

Building on this foundation, the new digital National Health Dataset Catalogue will standardise how health data is made discoverable in Ireland. In May 2026, the National Catalogue will be tested with Irish health data holders including National Cancer Registry Ireland (NCRI), National Screening Service (NSS), National Office of Clinical Audit (NOCA), National Care Experience Programme (NCEP), Hospital In-Patient Enquiry (HIPE), Health Research Board (HRB) and Central Statistics Office (CSO). Following this, it is planned to further develop and refine the catalogue before rolling it out to a wider group of Irish health data holders in November 2026.

HIQA’s Director of Health Information and Standards, Rachel Flynn, welcomes the development of the National Health Dataset Catalogue, commenting:

“The National Health Dataset Catalogue is a foundational step in strengthening Ireland’s health information ecosystem. By improving visibility of available datasets and aligning with European and national standards, we are enabling improved policy-making, health service management and planning, informed research and innovation, and better outcomes for patients and the public.”

The ‘HealthData@IE’ project supports Ireland’s readiness for the European Health Data Space (EHDS), an EU-wide programme designed to enable better use of health data for care, policy-making, health planning, research, innovation and cross-border collaboration across member states.

This publication is one of many in connection with the HealthData@IE project, with further publications to come in 2026 and 2027. Learn more here.