Jennifer Murnane O'Connor
Carlow-Kilkenny · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“There is nothing any of us in this House can say that can undo the pain, harm and loss experienced by those young boys, their families and the communities in which they lived, played basketball and worked. They have had to endure a lifetime of harm, many of them carrying their suffering in silence.”
“We are listening to you, we are learning and we are acting. All of us in this House have a responsibility to ensure that our child safeguarding systems are robust. We must ensure that if concerns are raised today, they are acted on without delay.”
“Today is a profoundly important and solemn day. I want to add my voice to the full and formal State apology and to acknowledge the courage, dignity and perseverance of those survivors who fought for truth and accountability for so many years.”
“I thank the Deputy for highlighting this very important issue and the 161 recommendations. First, I thank the Joint Committee on Drug Use for its work. I welcomed the report and I am in agreement with many of its recommendations. As the Deputy will be aware, earlier this year I published a draft of the national drugs strategy.”
“The Bill and the secondary legislation, training and clinical protocols that will follow it will support the terms and conditions for this service, as laid out in the community pharmacy agreement. All secondary legislation will be in place before commencement and launch of this measure.”
“No. I thank the Deputy again for her work on the drugs committee. The vast majority of the 161 recommendations will be in the new drugs strategy but one of the recommendations was on the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977. It falls under section 3. That legalises drugs. It is important we tell the people of the concern.”
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“I have taken the Deputy's points on board. She also spoke about Cavan, which was the one over the one-year period. I will bring that back to the Minister. The Government is committed to addressing immediate difficulties patients are experiencing in accessing oral healthcare services as well as fundamentally reforming dental services through the implementation of the Smile agus Sláinte programme. The two key goals of the policy are to provide supports to enable every individual to achieve their personal best oral healthcare and to reduce oral health inequalities across the population by enabling vulnerable groups to access oral healthcare and improve their oral health. I can assure the Deputy that these are priorities for the Government. I do see the frustration.”
“The Department of Health will continue to work with the HSE to continue to address any challenges arising in the provision of oral healthcare services and ensure the implementation of necessary reforms.”
“In the longer term, the Minister recognises that oral healthcare needs to be modernised in line with best international evidence and practice, as set out in the national oral health policy, Smile agus Sláinte. The €2 million budget 2025 investment will increase to €4 million in 2026. This supports the delivery of a three-year implementation plan for the policy, which is currently being finalised for publication by the Department of Health and the HSE. Service reform is vital to improve access to services in the long term, to ensure care is accessible from birth and is prevention based. The policy also highlights the need for strategic workforce planning to ensure a sufficient number of appropriately trained oral healthcare professionals, to include dentists, dental hygienists, dental nurses and other auxiliary grades.”
“So far in 2025, 425 sixth class targeted assessments have been completed in the Cavan-Monaghan area. The Government acknowledges that more needs to be done to ensure these children can access their examination appointment. Building on investment of over €230 million per year in public oral healthcare services, an additional €2 million was awarded in budget 2025 to recruit 15 additional oral healthcare WTEs nationally. The Deputy is right that one of the biggest issues is recruitment. As she said, there may be staff out on maternity leave or there could be vacancies. That is an issue and a challenge for us. The good news for us is that there was funding in budget 2025 to recruit 15 additional oral healthcare WTEs nationally.”
“The Minister for Health is aware that there are backlogs in the HSE’s child oral health examination programme which has meant that sixth class groups are being prioritised. Currently, capacity in the Cavan-Monaghan area is impacted by maternity leave which is reducing service provision. I take into account what the Deputy has said about the children over the last year who have not had a check-up. She can be assured that it will go back to the Department and the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. The public dental service in Monaghan is currently targeting children in the 2023-24 academic year, 65% of whom have received assessments. There are 832 consents received from parents for children in the 2024-25 academic year who are waiting for appointments.”
“I thank the Deputy. This is a very serious issue for children who are waiting for public dental assessment in the Deputy's county of Monaghan. The HSE oral healthcare service aims to provide an oral examination and necessary treatment for children between second and sixth class and, in some cases, fourth class. Emergency care is provided for children of all ages up to 16 and for those with complex and additional needs. Due to the nature of the oral health examination programme, it does not meet the usual definition of a formal waiting list. However, children are deemed eligible on 1 September when they commence the relevant academic year. The Department of Health engages with the HSE on an ongoing basis to understand and address any challenges arising in the provision of public oral healthcare services.”
“Men have also accounted for the majority of drug poisoning deaths every year since 2012. While it is positive that men engage with drug services in large numbers, it is important that we focus on prevention and address the root causes of problematic drug use in men's lives at earlier stages. We must make health services more accessible to men, expand our models and encourage men to seek help. That is one area we are promoting. We need say, "Seek help; it is there." I am committed to supporting the implementation of the men's health action plan in the HSE. I will be exploring the opportunities, with Healthy Ireland, for further cross-government work in 2026. I will seek to place a real focus on prevention and education in our upcoming national drug strategy. I look forward to updating the House on this as the drafting progresses.”
“It trains agricultural advisers and veterinary staff to recognise signs of stress, mental health issues and ill health among farmers and make referrals to their doctor and talk about it. This is an excellent example of cross-government work. I acknowledge the leadership demonstrated by my colleagues in relation to improving farmer health and well-being. Another area that I am passionate about is reducing the gender gap in life expectancy and improving the health and well-being of men. This means driving programmes such as those I outlined and encouraging greater participation in screening and health checks, which are vital. I am mindful that men account for over 70% of the cases treated for problem drug use last year. As Deputies know, the topic of drugs is within my remit.”
“I also mention programmes, such as Moving On, which is a community-based physical activity programme delivered by the local sports partnerships. It has been successful in reaching men who might not otherwise participate in exercise classes and similar classes. It gives them a chance. As someone who is learning in my role, I agree with other speakers that it is about communication and information, and letting men know what is available for them. We have such good schemes and services in place and other things we can help with. On Feirm Ground is another successful initiative. This is a partnership programme between my Department and the Department of agriculture.”
“I acknowledge the invaluable work of the Irish Men's Sheds Association. My Department, along with the Department of rural and community development and the HSE, allocates funding to the association which does such excellent work in our communities. Men's sheds offer a supportive social environment for men, leading to reduced isolation, a stronger sense of community and improved health and well-being. There are over 450 men's sheds now established throughout the country. The sheds also deliver the sheds for life programme. This involves health workshops, screenings and wellness activities over a ten-week period. Topics such as healthy eating and physical activity are covered, along with mental health and chronic disease prevention. The aim is to support men in more open and meaningful discussion around their physical and mental well-being.”
“The HSE has recently appointed a national programme manager to implement the men's health action plan. Alongside the voluntary sector, the HSE has led out on the development of a number of tailored programmes and campaigns on men's health. Engage, the national men's health training programme, provides health and community professionals with insights and skills on how to effectively engage men. This pioneering programme aims to improve the gender expertise of our health and social care workforce in relation to engaging men on their health. This training is delivered by HSE health promotion and improvement and co-ordinated by the Men's Development Network. Each year, the HSE provides funding for men's health week, which aims to raise awareness of men's health issues through public campaigns and community events across Ireland.”
“I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak about men's health and describe some of the initiatives that my Department and the HSE have in place to improve men's health. As a society, we are living longer and Ireland has one of the highest life expectancies in the EU. This should be celebrated, but it also brings challenges. We need to help people to enjoy good health and well-being at every stage of life and try to close the life expectancy gap between men and women. The Healthy Ireland vision is one where everyone can enjoy physical and mental health and well-being to their full potential and where well-being is valued at every level in society. Achieving this vision requires a whole-of- government and a whole-of-society approach. My Department supports a range of programmes and partnerships to improve men's health.”
“They can register their interest at giveblood.ie where they will also find clinic allocations, opening hours and all the other details. The IBTS's number is 1800 731137. I will raise the Senator's concerns about the average age of donors being 46 and the number of counties without an upcoming clinic. It definitely something we need to look into. I assure the Senator that her issues will go back to the Minister for Health. It is such an important service that saves lives. I thank her for raising such a serious issue.”
“I totally agree with the Senator. The increase in demand is driven in part by the success of the recent investment in expanding the surgical and health system capacity by delivering better access to care for people. To ensure this demand is met, donor attendance figures are up by 10,283 in the year to date. This is an increase of 8.9% on target. There has been an increase. With the increase in donor recruitment drives, some 11,291 first-time donors were recruited in 2023. This number rose to 11,351 in 2024. I will bring up the Senator's concerns. I also want to express my gratitude to all blood donors who turn up, roll up their sleeves and help us maintain the blood supply, particularly following the IBTS's appeal. I encourage anyone who is able to donate.”
“These additional Sunday clinics collected an additional 0.7 day's supply overall. I will come back to the Senator with the rest of the reply.”
“On 15 October, the IBTS issued an appeal for immediate public and donor support to collect more than 12,000 blood donations over the next four weeks to help boost the national blood supply, as current supplies are under three days across most blood groups. This is an issue and I acknowledge the Senator's concerns about this. The IBTS has robust blood shortage mitigations, which include optimising attendance at clinics, increased media and social media, additional targeted text messaging of donors, running multiple additional clinics and having longer opening hours. To support increased collections in response to the appeal, additional Sunday clinics were offered on Sunday 19 October at D’Olier Street in Dublin, St. Finbarr’s Hospital in Cork, Dunboyne in Meath, and Waterford city.”
“The Senator mentioned the pre-amber alert, whereby the IBTS writes to hospitals regarding restricting issues of blood and asking hospitals to reduce their stock holding. This allows the IBTS to more effectively allocate the national supply of blood. The Minister for Health will be alerted if the alert status changes to amber. An amber alert means that elective surgeries requiring donor blood support are cancelled and hospitals are advised to reduce blood usage under the national transfusion advisory group red cell and platelet shortage plans. The IBTS has never issued an amber alert and every effort is made to ensure this continues.”
“Specifically, this demand reflects an increase in the number of patients in Ireland undergoing lifesaving treatments, including urgent surgery, chemotherapy, stem cell transplantation and red cell exchange transfusion, including additional blood requirements to support increased weekend patient treatment activity. In 2024 the IBTS issued the highest number of blood donation units to Irish hospitals in over a decade, at just under 128,500 units, and this exceptionally high demand has further increased during 2025. The IBTS operates within an establishment ceiling of 567 whole time equivalents. This includes 27 additional posts to support the increases in IBTS service delivery that were sanctioned in December 2024 by the Department of Health. If the national blood supply falls below a certain level a number of steps are taken.”
“As part of the annual IBTS budget process, prices for blood and blood products are agreed and approved annually by the Minister for Health. The IBTS anticipates an income of approximately €86 million for 2025, with total projected costs for 2025 of €86 million, which results in a balanced budget. The IBTS is adequately funded and has not sought an increase in price since 2023. The current blood appeal is not related to funding. The IBTS endeavours to maintain five to seven days' stock of each blood group. To ensure this, the IBTS remains in constant communication with hospitals in relation to blood stock levels. The IBTS has robust emergency blood management plans and business continuity plans to manage the national blood stocks in times of blood shortages. Since 2019 Ireland has seen an increase in demand for red cells.”
“I thank the Senator for raising this important issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. I have taken all of her concerns on board and I will definitely come back at the end on what she has brought up. The Irish Blood Transfusion Service is a non-commercial State agency responsible for collecting, processing, testing and distributing blood and blood products in Ireland. It relies completely on the generosity of voluntary non-remunerated donors to provide sufficient donations to ensure a consistent supply of blood. The IBTS is funded by charging hospitals for the products and testing services it provides to support patient care. The product pricing is informed by an activity-based cost recovery model.”
“I will work with the Minister for Health to support her and the rest of the Government in this work and I look forward to an inquiry taking place. The family of Harvey and the families of all other children who are suffering deserve that. We must work to ensure a culture change so that families can have trust in the system. I support the Tánaiste, Deputy Harris, today. He is a committed public servant and he feels the pain of this subject deeply. He has my full support.”
“Yesterday, I attended the briefing in the audiovisual room and listened to the parents and families of children on the waiting list. My heart goes out to them. I welcome that the Government has committed to an inquiry and I urge that this happens as soon as possible. It is right to acknowledge that we are not where we need to be in addressing urgent problems in spinal care, despite the sincere efforts of successive Ministers. Strengthening governance and oversight, driving down waiting times and ensuring increased engagement and timely communication with families must be a priority. A number of initiatives are under way to help to improve access to services, but we must listen to and work with parents and the advocacy groups that are highlighting hugely worrying and important issues.”
“I will go back to the Minister, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. I will also be fully supporting this and, as I said, I will highlight concerns that are there but going forward, we will see change.”
“Under the new model of care being developed by the HSE, families will be able to access free, age-appropriate oral healthcare for their children at a dental practice of their choosing in their local community which holds a contract with the HSE. Children will be able to attend for care starting from birth and continuing regularly throughout their childhood. The HSE oral healthcare staff will have a key role in the new model. There will be an important new model set out under the national oral health policy, which will be oriented towards patients with additional needs who are less able to attend a general dental practice and who must be enabled to have greater access to oral healthcare. I understand totally. It is important that if someone needs a service, particularly if they are in pain, the service is there.”
“I thank the Senator for raising this matter. I assure her once again that the Government is committed to supporting access to oral healthcare services for people with disabilities, which is evidenced by the significant investment in recent years. A package of measures was introduced in 2022 to expand the care available under the dental treatment services scheme, DTSS. Significantly, increased fees have been paid to contractors. These measures have improved access to care. Payments for contractor claims in 2024 showed 227,691 additional treatments were provided nationally under the DTSS, with more than 44,208 extra patients treated compared with 2022. In the long term, the national oral health policy sets out a complete transformation of oral healthcare services and the expansion of care available for both children and adults.”
“The overall amount will increase to €4 million in 2026, which includes a commitment to provide an additional 15 HSE staff to deliver oral healthcare services, on top of continued efforts to address current vacancies.”
“The Senator mentioned the Irish Wheelchair Association. The work that it does around the country is exceptional. Oral health services will be prevention-focused and will be tailored to each age group across the life course, from birth to old age. Patients with additional needs will be supported to mainstream to a local general dental practice of their choosing, while the HSE oral healthcare service will reorient to provide care for those who cannot receive the entirety of their care in a general dental practice. The HSE will also develop the necessary models of care, clinical guidelines and care pathways to support the provision of these services. In budget 2025, a further €2 million was invested.”
“The HSE has invested in additional equipment, including wheelchair tilts, which enhance the accessibility of dental surgeries for wheelchair users who cannot self-transfer to a dental chair. There are currently 12 wheelchair tilts in place nationally, with a further five being considered as part of dental location developments. There is a further range of patients who are wheelchair users who are unable to attend routine dental treatment due to comorbidities. These patients can be supported to access treatment under sedation or general anaesthesia. Through the implementation of the national oral health policy, Smile agus Sláinte, the Government has committed to reforming oral healthcare services for people with disabilities. I know this is a priority and I understand that there are challenges that we definitely need to address.”
“The dental treatment service scheme provides a range of care, free of charge, to medical card holders aged 16 and over. More complex care, as well as a broader range of treatments for patients with additional needs and high-risk patients, are available, subject to the approval of the local HSE principal dental surgeon. Last year, the HSE oral healthcare service provided dental care to over 150,000 adults and children. This includes almost 50,000 emergency appointments to eligible patients, either on a same-day or next-day basis. It also includes those with additional needs who cannot receive care in a general dental practice. The HSE provides these patients with an oral health examination and, where necessary, their treatment is provided using additional supports.”
“I also welcome Rodion and his family. We are delighted to have them here. I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. I thank the Senator for the opportunity to address the issue of accessibility and dental services for people with disabilities. The national oral health policy has two key goals, namely, to provide the supports to enable every individual to achieve their personal best oral health and to reduce oral health inequalities across the population by enabling vulnerable patients to access oral healthcare and improve their oral health. The Government has invested over €230 million annually in the provision of oral health, including an additional €15 million in reoccurring funding since 2019-20, to support progress on the national oral health policy.”
“I can only say I will go back and speak to the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, who apologises that she cannot be here. The seriousness of this is such that time is of the essence. With cancer patients, everything is about timing and how quickly you can access services and get your treatment. On an emotional point, I thank Senator Craughwell and say to his daughter and everyone who is here to support her and who gives her the services that I wish them well. As I said, we will not be going against this motion; we will be supporting it.”
“The Department of Health and the HSE are currently finalising an implementation plan for the first phase of the roll-out. This phase of implementation includes the development of a national head and neck cancer oral health pathway. I assure Senators and thank them again. I have another meeting but the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, will be coming in shortly. I thank the House. We will continue the ongoing work being delivered by the Department to address the current challenges faced with head and neck cancer nationally. We are grateful to Senator Craughwell for tabling this motion. While the ongoing investments being made are important, ultimately, the development of an optimal dental oncology pathway will better enable the provision of care to those patients with head and neck cancers.”
“This policy aims to radically transform our current oral healthcare service, recognising we need an entirely new approach to oral healthcare to meet the needs of our population into the future. The policy provides a framework to transform oral healthcare services in Ireland, where prevention and promotion are an integral part of all service provision. Smile agus Sláinte is informed by and aligned with other relevant Government and health policies, including the primary healthcare approach, Sláintecare, our overall framework for better health in Ireland and a healthy Ireland. The implementation of the national oral health policy is a programme for Government commitment to support the focused and structured implementation of the policy.”
“The fees paid to contractors for most treatment items also increased by 40% to 60%. Those who have a medical card and are aged 16 and over can access a range of treatments under the DTSS free of charge for head and neck cancer patients. They are eligible for several dental treatments under the DTSS. The dental hospitals provide a pathway for individuals to access dental treatments, but dental treatments can also be availed of through dentists who operate the DTSS. However, I acknowledge there are challenges with this scheme at present. Some of these challenges will be addressed through the implementation of the national oral health policy, Smile agus Sláinte.”
“James's Hospital in September 2023 has helped support the provision of reconstructive care to patients following head and neck cancer. To enable the development of the patient care pathway for individuals with head and neck cancer, the NCCP team has been working with the Department of Health on issues of oncology-related dental services. To enable the development of these services for patients with head and neck cancer, the appropriate staffing and skill mix will need to be outlined which will require a clinically led focus that responds to patients' clinical needs. In respect of dental services and supports more generally, a range of measures have been put in place since 2022 within the dental treatment service scheme for adult medical card holders. This introduced, and then reintroduced, elements of preventative care.”
“In 2024, over €900,000 was allocated to continue the development of head and neck cancer services for the treatment of patients. This funding is available to the HSE which engages with dental hospitals to ensure the use of the funding meets the needs of the patients. The Minister for Health wants to do much more to improve oncology-related dental services and work is ongoing with the HSE to improve these services. There have been some recent developments in oncology-related dental services I would like to highlight today. Since March 2022, out-of-pocket expenditure for patients attending DDUH for head and neck cancer-related care has stopped. The appointment of a consultant for medically compromised patients, treating head and neck cancer, to DDUH in April 2023, and a dental consultant in St.”
“This legislation will bring important changes to the licensing, sales and distribution of tobacco and nicotine-inhaling products, particularly to those under the age of 21. Turning specifically to oncology-related dental services, the Government allocates more than €230 million towards the provision of oral healthcare every year. This shows our commitment to delivering oral healthcare services. There have been additional investments to oncology-related dental services due to the increasing demands of the service provided by Dublin Dental University Hospital, DDUH. This has resulted in increased funding being provided to DDUH since 2023. The HSE initially provided €311,000, which increased to €578,000 by the end of 2023. This excludes education funding of €189,000.”
“Cancer incidence is higher and survival rates lower among the most disadvantaged quintile in Ireland. This inequity also applies to head and neck cancers. One of our key priorities is to promote equity in cancer care, ensuring patients receive high-quality care regardless of where they live, which hospital they attend or the doctors they see. We also know the dominant cause of mucosal head and neck cancers is nicotine inhalation. While smoking prevalence has come down from 27% in 2004, 18% of our population still smoke today. We know restrictions in this area can have positive long-term effects. As fewer people take up smoking, we are keen to build on our progress and are working to bring two important pieces of legislation into effect this year.”
“Some of this increase arises from our growing and ageing population, improvements in our diagnostic services and the growing awareness of cancer among our population, which leads to more people seeking help. Patients are also presenting younger. The median age of diagnosis is falling and there is a shift in demographics resulting in a growing number of younger people being affected by the disease. While this trend may be attributed to the increasing prevalence of HPV, we know for certain that these patients will be living with the after-effects of cancer and cancer treatment for longer. Using data from the national cancer registry, we also see differences in outcomes across different cancer types, socioeconomic status and geographical areas.”
“Additionally, capital investment of more than €140 million has been made, which has delivered new lab facilities, day wards and new radiation oncology facilities. Since 2020, the Health Research Board has awarded €43.7 million in cancer research funding. This includes €21.6 million for clinical trials infrastructure. Today, over 220,000 people are living after receiving a cancer diagnosis, up from 150,000 in 2017. That is a 32% increase. This includes nearly 5,800 head and neck cancer survivors. The national cancer registry of Ireland reports an average of 786 head and neck cancer patients each year and this is projected to increase by 66% in the next 20 years to reach over 1,000 cases by 2045.”
“As an initial step, the Minister for Health has committed to the introduction of a school-based HPV catch-up programme. This will be put in place in 2026. It will provide students who have previously been offered a HPV vaccine another opportunity to receive it. From our point of view, we need to better explain the dangers and how important it is to get this vaccine. We definitely need to look at that. The Government is committed to the continued implementation of the national cancer strategy. To date, more than €105 million has been allocated to cancer control under the strategy. This includes funding to support and expand population-based cancer screening programmes. It also includes funding to bring new treatments to Ireland and supports for community organisations supporting the growing number of people living with and beyond cancer.”
“Demographic changes may be causing a growing number of younger people to be affected by the disease. The NCCP has indicated that this trend could be due to the increasing prevalence of HPV, about which both Senators have spoken. Primary prevention of cancer associated with HPV infection can be achieved through vaccination. The HPV vaccine has been provided to secondary school children to help prevent HPV. One of the Senators said it is important that we highlight the necessity of this and look at the information and awareness and get that into schools and to parents. That is also something we also really need to look at. One of the programme for Government commitments is to extend the HPV vaccination to anyone under 25 who may have missed it.”
“The NCCP, the dental hospitals and Department of Health and HSE stakeholders, that is, the national oral heath office, the access and integration team and regional services including the integrated health area, IHA, manager, for Dublin Dental University Hospital under the service level agreement, are collaborating to improve head and neck cancer services nationally, including better oncology-related dental services. This group aims to define the optimal dental oncology pathway and is actively progressing this work. The group is meeting again this month to continue its efforts to improve head and neck cancer dental services nationwide. Head and neck cancers encompass a broad variety of anatomical sites, including the oral cavity. Over the past few years, the incidence of head and neck cancer has increased in Ireland.”
“The delivery of a national head and neck cancer oral health pathway is a priority under the national oral health policy and will be included in phase 1 of the implementation plan, which is expected to be published shortly. I will try to find out more on that for the Senator. It is important to know when it will be published. I will make sure the Department comes back to him on this. The HSE national cancer control programme, NCCP, is responsible for implementing and overseeing cancer services in Ireland. The NCCP is progressing the development of a pathway for head and neck cancer patients.”
“He can be assured that I will go back and highlight the issues. I am delighted to take this debate on behalf of the Minister. We will not be opposing the motion. That is important. All of us working together is going to be really important now. I thank the Senator for tabling the motion and giving us the opportunity to discuss oncology-related dental services and head and neck cancer. This is an opportunity to listen to and acknowledge the very real challenges faced today, to set out some of the progress made to date and to inform the Seanad of the ongoing work in both the critical prevention side and the necessary improvements nationally for head and neck cancer services. Central to this is the need for the development of a clear patient journey for head and neck cancer patients.”
“I thank Senator Craughwell very much. I welcome his daughter here today. Since I became Minister of State with responsibility for health, cancer has come up so much. So many families are affected by cancer. It is not only the Senator's daughter but he, his wife and all of them together who are affected. As he said, they are a unit working within the hospital. I want to say well done. It was very emotional today. It is great to see the Senator's daughter here. As Senator McDowell said, timing is of the essence, and it is important. Senator Craughwell spoke about the €500,000 that has been cut. He can be assured that I will definitely convey that message to the Department. Officials from the Department are here taking notes and, as he knows, I am representing the Minister, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, who cannot be here today.”
“In line with this, I am supporting the hot meals programme by increasing the number of environmental health officers to carry out robust inspections. We want to create a health service that leaves no one behind. People are living longer and it is vital that we invest in public health so people can be supported to live healthier lives and make healthier choices.”
“I will work with the HSE on this campaign to ensure that factual information is delivered to primary school aged children and their parents. This is alongside the ongoing work of the Government to introduce legislation on banning disposal vapes and restricting colours and flavours. The publication of this legislation is a priority for this Government. Among other public health measures, I secured additional funding for sexual healthcare and prevention. There are measures to address obesity and increase breast feeding supports. Alongside our continued support for men's sheds, budget 2026 will provide funding to support the national roll-out of women's sheds. This has been a priority of mine, and I look forward to working with the Department of rural and community development on this. The Government is committed to tackling child poverty.”
“I acknowledge measures proposed by my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. These include the expansion of dual diagnosis services for people with both mental health issues and addiction issues. There is also additional funding for suicide reduction initiatives for the Traveller community. Under my brief of health and well-being, the money invested in public health initiatives next year will help to lay the foundations for a healthier future for everyone. We must focus on promoting healthier choices and protecting children. I am particularly delighted to have secured €200,000 to address vaping rates among young people. The increase in vaping and nicotine use by children and young people is a particular concern of mine.”
“I want to enhance capacity in drugs services that will support the development of our next national drugs strategy, which is currently being drafted and which I hope to publish in early 2026. With the investment provided by budget 2026, I want to progress improvements in drug and social inclusion health services, including enhanced drug services for those who are underserved, such as young people, an alternative opioid substitute treatments that will improve care for those in rural areas, a workforce development plan for the valued staff who provide addiction services throughout the country in our community services and through a local drug and alcohol task forces, early intervention for children's health and an enhancement in healthcare for those who are homeless and refugees.”