Established in 1993 as an all-island body with the purpose of promoting palliative care nationally and internationally, the Irish Association for Palliative Care (IAPC) is a multi-disciplinary membership organisation. The association exists to promote palliative care through opportunities for networking, education, publications and representation on national bodies. As the sole membership organisation for those involved in the provision of palliative care, the IAPC is the primary collective and expert voice for palliative care in Ireland.

The mission of the IAPC  is to promote high-quality evidence-based palliative care in Ireland and internationally through networking, education, research and publications and to use its collective expert voice to influence the development and implementation of national policy for palliative care.

The vision of the IAPC is a world where palliative care is available to all of us, when we need it, wherever we are, so we can live life as well as possible until we die.

The membership of the IAPC reflects the entire spectrum of all those who work in or have a professional interest in the provision of palliative care, ie, doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains and pastoral carers, pharmacists, psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dieticians, as well as executive staff, academics and educationalists. Membership also includes clinicians and allied health professionals working in related areas such as geriatrics, oncology, psycho-oncology, paediatrics, and pain management.

The core objectives of the IAPC are to:

• strengthen the capacity of the palliative care sector through developing the professional capacity of individuals
• promote the palliative care agenda through the Association’s collective and expert voice
• drive patient-centred, equitable and accessible palliative care for all who need it by using the Association’s expertise to influence and shape national policy.

The Scheme to Support National Organisations is funded by the Government of Ireland through the Department of Rural and Community Development.