AED Compliance in Ireland
What Irish law actually requires, what the HSA recommends, and what changes if you're a workplace, a business with multiple sites, or a Community First Responder group.
AT A GLANCE
- Is an AED a legal requirement? No — a first aid kit, trained first-aider and signage are required by law. An AED is recommended, not mandated.
- What law covers this? Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 — S.I. No. 299 of 2007.
- VAT on AEDs? 0% — devices, pads, batteries and cabinets are all zero-rated.
- Do I need to register my AED? Not by law, but the HSA recommends it — free, direct, and takes a few minutes.
- CFR groups: equipment provision is a scheme-committee responsibility, coordinated with the National Ambulance Service.
CONTENTS
- Is an AED a legal requirement?
- What Irish law actually requires
- HSA guidance on AEDs
- Medical device status & HPRA
- Registering your AED
- AED Guardian — tracking & reminders
- VAT on AEDs
- Businesses & multi-site organisations
- Community First Responder (CFR) groups
- Staying compliant over time
- Frequently asked questions
- Contact us
No. Cardiac arrest is an electrical problem — the heart stops pumping and the person is unconscious and not breathing normally. It is not the same as a heart attack, which is a circulation problem and usually leaves the person conscious. An AED analyses the heart's rhythm and, where appropriate, delivers a shock to terminate a dangerous (shockable) rhythm — it does not "restart" the heart.
The underlying law has not changed since 2007. The HSA's December 2024 guidelines updated the training standard and kit contents to align with current practice, but the regulation itself is still S.I. No. 299 of 2007, Chapter 2 of Part 7.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| First aid kit | Contents scaled to headcount, per the HSA's Table 1 (December 2024) — travel kit up to 26–50 person workplace kits. |
| Trained first-aider(s) | Number scales with workplace type and headcount (e.g. most offices: 1 first-aider up to 99 employees, rising with headcount). Training standard: PHECC First Aid Response (FAR), 18 hours initial, 2-year validity. |
| Signage & location | First aid point must be clearly signed and accessible to all staff. |
| AED | Not mandated. Recommended wherever a first-aider is present (see Section 03). |
Exact first-aider numbers depend on your specific workplace type, headcount and risk profile — see the HSA's full guidelines or speak to us for a compliance review.
↑ Back to topThe HSA's December 2024 guidelines set out how an AED should be provided and maintained where one is in place. These are recommendations, not statutory requirements, but they are the benchmark used in practice.
- The AED storage unit should not be locked or sited somewhere difficult to access.
- Where an AED is sited outdoors, it should be in a heated cabinet.
- The location must be clearly signposted.
- A regular maintenance checklist is required — ready-for-service indicator, pads in-date, battery charged — per the manufacturer's instructions for that model.
- CFR (Cardiac First Responder) training is encouraged for staff who are not occupational first-aiders.
- Registering the AED's location with the National Ambulance Service should be considered (see Section 05).
⚡ Heated cabinet — needs a 240V supply fitted by a registered electrician. Not included. Hayes First Aid supplies and delivers the cabinet only — electrical installation is not included in the price.
↑ Back to topAEDs are Class IIb medical devices under EU Medical Device Regulation (EU) 2017/745. Hayes First Aid (MacroMed Healthcare Limited) is registered with the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) as a Distributor of medical devices under this regulation.
Always follow the manufacturer's Instructions for Use for your specific AED model, and keep the Unique Device Identifier (UDI) label visible — it must not be removed or covered.
↑ Back to topYou can register on our Register Your AED page, which links to the official National Ambulance Service form.
↑ Back to topNAS registration (Section 05) puts your AED on the national dispatch database. It doesn't track the device itself — that's what AED Guardian is for.
Guardian is separate from NAS registration and doesn't replace it — you still register directly with the National Ambulance Service yourself (Section 05). Guardian tracks the device's readiness; it doesn't register its location for 112/999 dispatch.
See AED Guardian Service for full details and pricing.
↑ Back to top| Product | VAT |
|---|---|
| AED devices (fully/semi-automatic) | 0% |
| AED electrode pads & batteries | 0% |
| AED wall-mounted cabinets | 0% |
| Manual / Advanced Life Support (ALS) defibrillators | 23% |
AEDs and their core consumables are zero-rated under Schedule 2, paragraph 11(3)(ba) of the VAT Consolidation Act 2010. Manual and Advanced Life Support defibrillators are explicitly excluded from the zero rate and remain standard-rated.
↑ Back to topEverything in Sections 01–07 applies per site — the legal minimum (kit, first-aider, signage) and the AED recommendation both apply workplace by workplace, not just once per organisation.
CFR groups sit outside workplace first-aid law — S.I. No. 299 of 2007 governs employers, not volunteer response schemes. CFR schemes are supported by the National Ambulance Service (NAS), the statutory provider of pre-hospital care in Ireland, through its Community Engagement Officers, and by CFR Ireland, the representative body for CFR volunteers.
- An AED is standard kit-bag equipment for a Community First Responder, alongside a mobile phone, pocket mask, gloves and aspirin.
- Equipment provision and maintenance is the responsibility of the scheme's own committee — there is no single mandated AED model.
- All responders complete PHECC / AHA / Irish Heart Foundation-accredited CFR training, which covers AED use as part of cardiac arrest management.
- AED locations can be added to the national AED register so 112/999 dispatch can direct callers to the nearest device — the same registration route described in Section 05.
Useful starting points: What is a CFR and Create a CFR Scheme, both run by the National Ambulance Service.
↑ Back to topBuying the AED is the start, not the end. Pads and batteries expire on a schedule, the device needs a periodic check, and it needs to stay registered and traceable for its working life.
- Follow the self-test and ready-indicator guidance for your specific model — see our AED Maintenance Guide.
- Replace pads and batteries before they expire — reminders are available through our AED Guardian Service (Section 06).
- Used consumables and end-of-life units are hazardous/WEEE waste — Hayes First Aid offers a take-back service.
Is an AED a legal requirement in Irish workplaces?
No. S.I. No. 299 of 2007 requires a first aid kit, a trained first-aider and signage. An AED is recommended by HSA guidance, not mandated by law.
Do I have to register my AED anywhere?
No legal obligation, but the HSA recommends registering with the National Ambulance Service so 112/999 dispatchers can direct callers to it. You register directly — free, and it takes a few minutes.
What VAT applies to AEDs in Ireland?
AED devices, pads, batteries and wall-mounted cabinets are zero-rated (0% VAT). Manual/ALS defibrillators are excluded and charged at 23%.
Does a Community First Responder group need to buy a specific AED model?
There's no single mandated model. Equipment provision is the scheme committee's responsibility, coordinated with your local NAS Community Engagement Officer. Confirm any scheme-specific spec before ordering.
↑ Back to topFor questions about this guide, your AED, or anything else:
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