Covid-19 exposed "shortcomings" in HIQA's "regulatory framework for social care services", according to its annual report.
HIQA's Chairperson, Professor Pat O'Mahony, added that "COVID-19 will remain a challenge for the health and social care sector for the coming years".
HIQA's annual report for 2020 provides an overview of its work, as well as detailing how the organisation responded to the pandemic.
In the report, Professor O'Mahony says "we have become all too familiar with the impact of COVID-19 in nursing homes in particular."
He called for "changes at legislative and policy level to protect our vulnerable populations" - HIQA's regulatory framework was developed under the 2007 Health Act, which was last reviewed in 2013.
There was a small increase in the number of registered beds in nursing homes across the country, with an increase of 122.
Four new registered beds became available in Co Monaghan last year, bringing the number of registered beds in the county to 422, as of December 31st, 2020.
In Cavan, there were 491 registered beds as of the end of last year.
While 11 new nursing homes were registered nationwide, 23 centres closed, including two that were closed under Section 59 of the Health Act 2007.
