John Gormley
Ceist:952 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children if he has promoted, or intends to promote, clinical ecology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20581/03]
Vol. 571 No. 1
952 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Health and Children if he has promoted, or intends to promote, clinical ecology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20581/03]
The 2001 national health strategy, Quality and Fairness – A Health System for You, acknowledges that the broad determinants of health including environmental factors must be taken into account in order to develop an effective health system. The first goal of the strategy is better health for everyone, and this part of the strategy includes the preparation of a national environmental health action plan, NEHAP, which is an inter-sectoral action plan to deal with environmental health issues in Ireland. The draft NEHAP, A Shared Vision for Quality of Life, is currently being finalised. The key objectives of the draft NEHAP are to promote the influence of environmental health factors on quality of life in Ireland and to protect and enhance the environment and living conditions in order to promote human health, to provide a strategic framework for the development and implementation of a multi-sectoral and ongoing partnership at local, regional and national levels in the field of environmental health, and to ensure policy and executive cohesion in implementing, monitoring and reviewing all agreed national and local action plans.