Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 December 2022
84. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who are set to benefit from the national Traveller health action plan; the details of what is contained within the action plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60793/22]
View answerThe national Traveller Health Action Plan fulfils a commitment in the Programme for Government and the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy.
Travellers have the right to the highest attainable standard of health as is the norm in Irish society. The action plan is a comprehensive public health response to the health needs of Travellers, that provides tailored and affirmative measures to prevent disease, promote health and prolong life, and are delivered in partnership with Travellers.
The action plan acknowledges the difficulties Travellers can experience in accessing healthcare services. Low health literacy and poor communication channels impair interactions between Travellers and healthcare providers.
To address these barriers, the Action Plan adopts an inclusion health approach, which seeks to change how healthcare services are delivered. Central to this is the involvement of Travellers in healthcare delivery. The primary healthcare projects are an example of a peer-led model that trains Travellers as community health workers. The provision of services in a culturally sensitive manner is another feature of an inclusion health approach.
The action plan has four goals and 45 actions. Further details on the action plan are available here. www.hse.ie/eng/services/publications/socialinclusion/national-traveller-health-action-plan-2022-2027.pdf
The action plan will benefit all Travellers. The 2016 Census recorded approximately 30,987 Travellers in the Republic of Ireland. The recent annual Traveller count by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, reported 11,680 Traveller families.
I am fully committed to providing the leadership and resources to ensure the successful implementation of the action plan, along with my colleagues Minister Donnelly and Minister Butler. To support the delivery of the action plan, the Department of Health is providing new development funding of €1.3 million in 2023. This is in addition to the €10 million that is already allocated for Traveller-specific health services.
I believe the action plan is a significant step to improving health experiences and outcomes for the Traveller community.
