The Health Service Executive (HSE) is to begin a series of consultations with minority ethnic groups next month as part of a national plan to help make health services more responsive to the needs of foreign nationals.
At a time of record levels of immigration into Ireland, there is deepening concern in the health sector over the need to ensure health services are more inclusive and accommodate greater diversity.
In the eastern region alone, health professionals estimate that migrant workers or asylum seekers representing more than 100 nationalities are in contact with health services.
A series of consultations are to take place next month in various locations around the country with hospital staff, health professionals and minority ethnic groups.
The outcome of the meetings will feed into the HSE's national intercultural strategy, aimed at ensuring the health needs of different cultures are addressed by health services in an effective and sensitive way.
Research conducted two years ago by health authorities identified a number of gaps in the provision of services for foreign nationals.
It highlighted the need for multilingual supports; signs that could be understood by people with poor English language skills; patient leaflets in different languages; and the need for greater levels of diversity training among staff.
St James's Hospital, Temple Street Children's University Hospital, James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Blanchardstown and the former North Western Health Board have all embarked on equality and cultural diversity training for staff.
Meanwhile, the HSE is developing a guide for staff on providing healthcare that is sensitive to cultural and religious needs.
The Intercultural and Interfaith Resource Book will give guidance to staff on the implications of various cultural and spiritual beliefs for areas of healthcare such as birth practices, death and burial, parenting norms and diet.
The HSE is also developing ways of identifying ethnic groups when they arrive into hospitals and collecting data relating to ethnicity to help develop culturally appropriate services.
Much of the work which is under way is based on the outcome of an analysis of staff training needs and international research conducted two years ago in the former Eastern Regional Health Authority.
While the national strategy is being developed, a number of diversity training programmes are beginning in six local health offices and in a number of acute hospitals. These are aimed at helping staff deal with new cultural and spiritual issues.