Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 March 2022
829. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health the actions that his Department has taken to implement the relevant recommendations from the Joint Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community report issued in November 2021. [14007/22]
View answerThe Department of Health has considered the Final Report of the Joint Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community and its 21 recommendations relating to the health of Travellers.
A key action in the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy (NTRIS) is to develop and implement a detailed action plan to address the specific health needs of Travellers, using a social determinants approach. The lead role in developing the action plan rests with the HSE, in conjunction with Traveller organisations.
The Department of Health has received the draft Traveller health action plan from the HSE and officials recently met with the HSE to consider the plan and to identify the resources required to implement it. It is expected that action plan will address the recommendations in the Joint Committee Report.
As an initial step towards implementing the plan, the Dept provided €270,000 to expand Traveller health units in 2021. Further measures will be considered in the context of Budget 2023.
I am fully committed to providing the leadership and resources to ensure the implementation of the plan by the HSE, once agreed.
