Together We Can Make the Difference

Supporting People with Diabetes

As a person living daily with diabetes, it is crucial for you to have optimal control of your condition, so you are best protected in the event of any illness or issue.

Optimising diabetes management requires daily decision-making regarding food choices, activity levels and taking medication. Knowing that help, advice, education, care, and support is available from Diabetes Ireland is an added benefit to the support received from your GP or diabetes healthcare team.

One of Diabetes Ireland’s first goals and major successes was to obtain free medication for all people with diabetes in 1971. Today, that success still holds in that every person in Ireland diagnosed with diabetes can obtain free diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol medications under the Long-Term Illness scheme, saving every person with diabetes thousands of euros each year.

Since then, Diabetes Ireland has gone from strength to strength as we identify and achieve multiple annual goals. We have grown to become a strong and unified voice in advocating for better services for those with diabetes and influencing health policy in this area. The purchase of a state-of-the-art headquarters in Santry in 2013 considerably broadened our scope, enabling us to offer services directly to thousands of people with diabetes each year. The opening of a second Care Centre in Cork further strengthened our position in the community.

With our comprehensive online and offline support services, education programmes, health promotion initiatives, advocacy programme, members magazines and ezines, events and other activities, we constantly strive to support our members to optimally manage their diabetes. Today, our Aims are:

to provide support, education, and motivation to people with diabetes, their families, and friends.
to raise awareness of diabetes in the community and foster programmes for early detection and prevention of diabetes complications and its burden.
to support and encourage advances in diabetes care and research that improves Quality of Life and Standards of Care.

In 2024, Diabetes Ireland continues to evolve and this year we will continue to focus on;

Maintaining our helpline so we are available for people with concerns and queries.
Increasing our online presence and developing a number of online awareness campaigns that increase understanding of diabetes and its impact.
Delivering a range of education webinars and programmes to our community ensuring there is content that will be of benefit for everyone whether you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.
Delivering virtual Type 2 diabetes Code programmes and providing easy access to our Diabetes Smart education online programme for people with Type 2 Diabetes & Pre-Diabetes.
Through our Care Centres in Dublin and Cork ensure that people with diabetes can be seen for both eyecare and footcare screening.
Advocating for improved HSE diabetes services nationwide and tackling the issues that are important to our community.
Host outdoor events for children with Type 1 diabetes and their families.
Educate and support teachers and Special Needs Assistants in the management of school going children with Type 1 diabetes via online virtual platforms.