21 November 2025
The Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, has published Government-approved recommendations from the National Clinical Trials Oversight Group (NCTOG) aimed at strengthening Ireland’s clinical trials environment and increasing patient access to research opportunities.
The recommendations, developed following 12 months of deliberations by NCTOG, include the establishment of a Clinical Trials Advisory Council in 2026 and a National Clinical Trials Body in 2027 to provide strategic leadership for the sector. They also focus on improving trial delivery through streamlined processes, workforce planning, innovation, and enhanced public and patient involvement.
Priority Area 5 explicitly recognises, for the first time, that research nurses and midwives represent the largest professional group within Ireland’s clinical research delivery workforce, accounting for 40% of all roles. This acknowledgement underscores the essential leadership, expertise, and continuity that research nurses and midwives bring to clinical research across Ireland.
The report represents a significant milestone in advancing Ireland’s clinical research infrastructure and supporting the growth of high-quality, patient-centred clinical trials.
The Irish Research Nurses and Midwives Network are delighted the Workforce Planning Sub-Group Recommondations were adopted and endorsed in full by the Minister.