Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 April 2024
747. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Health if his Department has provided investment into research on the links between exposure to pesticides and Parkinson’s disease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19511/24]
View answerWhile policy and legislation relating to pesticides would be a matter for my colleague the Minister for Agriculture Food and Marine, my department is the largest funder of health research in the state. This is progressed through the Health Research Board, which to date has not funded research in this area. However, the vast majority of HRB schemes welcome applications from the research community in any area as long as they are aligned with the agency's broad remit to fund clinical research, population health research, health services and systems research. Within this remit, research concerned with environmental factors and health and wellbeing would be relevant and applications arising in the area of pesticides and Parkinson's disease would therefore be eligible for consideration by the HRB.
