I thank the Chairperson and members of the committee for the invitation to attend today, and for rescheduling from the earlier date, to discuss the topic of health and well-being for persons with disabilities. I am joined by Siobhán Hargis, Siobhain Crean, Anne O'Brien and Anne Barry-Reidy, colleagues from the Department, and by Dr. Rosie Gowran, clinical lead for people with disabilities from the HSE. The Department takes its responsibility for ensuring good health and well-being for all individuals across the life course, including people with disabilities, very seriously, and is acutely conscious of its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability, UNCRPD, to provide accessible, non-discriminatory health services, taking into account the protection and promotion of the human rights of persons with disabilities in all policies and programmes.
The Department of Health's Statement of Strategy 2023-2025 supports us in achieving the vision of a healthier Ireland, with improved health and well-being for all throughout life and with the right care delivered in the right place at the right time. Under the Sláintecare programme of healthcare reform, we have increased investment through the enhanced community care programme, delivering increased levels of healthcare in general practice, primary care and community-based services. However, challenges do remain, particularly in respect of streamlined accessible pathways to and within community services, which are critically important to individuals with disabilities. In order to address these challenges, we are undertaking actions such as the following. We are developing sustainable solutions, in both the short and long term, to address growing demand for primary care therapy services, with workstreams focused on improving productivity, progressing targeted interventions to address those waiting the longest for therapy services and the development of a waiting list protocol to support a consistent national approach to waiting list management.
The HSE National Immunisation Office has taken steps to ensure that vaccine guidance is inclusive and accessible to all, including developing clear, easy-to-understand materials and visual aids like infographics and videos to convey key messages. The national screening service has published a comprehensive Breaking Down Barriers report outlining the findings of a study to assess the needs of disabled people in accessing Ireland’s screening programmes, particularly for women with disability. The report documents people’s perceptions and experiences and presents recommendations for improving accessibility of screening services. The Government’s national oral health policy provides the roadmap to fundamental reform of oral healthcare services, including improved access for people with disability, particularly people with additional or complex dental care needs.
The Department is currently developing a regulatory framework for home support providers, with the aim of ensuring that all service users are provided with high quality care. In order to deliver our expanding range of health and social care services, significant investment is being made into the health and social care workforce. In addition, workforce plans are being developed to ensure the workforce will be aligned to the services required.
Continuing substantial investment in new medicines, coupled with new investment in enhanced workforce capacity within the medicines assessment and reimbursement process, is providing enhanced access to the latest innovative medicines. Medicines expenditure is anticipated to reach in excess of €3.3 billion this year, with a further €30 million to be made available for new medicines in 2025.
The Department of Health is developing a new national rare disease strategy and has established an interagency, interdisciplinary steering group and public consultation to support a comprehensive evidence-informed rare diseases plan to improve health and social care pathways for children, adults and older people living with a disease. The Department regularly publishes content and runs campaigns to promote health literacy and disease prevention.
For example, new public mental health content was developed on yourmentalhealth.ie, providing comprehensive information and advice about mental health and well-being, and the Making the Connections public information campaign was launched on World Mental Health Day. It focuses on mental health literacy and signposts people to new content on anxiety, low mood, stress and sleep issues.
In addition, under the Healthy Ireland framework and strategic action plan, the Department continues to progress and fund the promotion of physical and mental health and well-being, population health planning, prevention of illness and aiding people to live a healthier lifestyle by introducing an array of health initiatives.
The Department and the HSE continuously collaborate with other Departments and State bodies to progress strategies, policies and initiatives. Under Healthy Ireland, we are working with the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform on the wider Government well-being framework, and with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and Sport Ireland on the children’s sport participation and physical activity study and Ireland’s physical activity research collaboration. We are also working with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on the new national disability strategy and the successor LGBTI+ inclusion strategy.
The Department is progressing a number of initiatives to promote understanding and awareness of health services, and to improve accessibility of these services for all individuals. In line with our obligations under the UNCRPD, we, together with the HSE at delivery level, are working to ensure that services are designed on a universal basis. We have made progress and are committed to continuous improvement. I thank the committee and look forward to members questions.