HSE Research Ethics Committee - Committee Information

To maintain ethical standards in the Executive's scientific investigations involving individuals, to protect them from harm, to preserve their rights and to provide reassurance to the Executive and the public that this is being done, ensuring that all such investigations conform to ethical principles including those described in the Declaration of Helsinki.

To review all proposals for planned investigations involving individuals to ensure that:

• the proposed study is scientifically valid and justifiable in terms of its possible benefits compared with any risk of inconvenience or harm;
• adequate steps have been taken so that physical or psychological harm does not occur;
• the confidentiality of all personal and medical information is ensured and privacy maintained;
• consent is truly valid (informed) and given without any form of duress;
• adequate arrangements are available to compensate subjects whose health might be damaged by such an investigation.

To take note of guidelines for the proper conduct of ethical committees by the Department of Health, the Royal College of Physicians and its Faculty of Occupational Medicine, and other professional oranisations and by appropriate external membership ensure that its functioning is consistent with the highest current practice elsewhere.

To report biannually to the Executive concerning its work in general and any specific issues it wishes to draw to the Executive's attention.