Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 February 2017
318. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Health the overall spend by his Department on health and well-being initiatives each year since 2012, in tabular form; the individual initiatives in health and well-being supported by the Government for the same period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9269/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health and Well-being Programme in my Department is responsible for coordinating the implementation of Healthy Ireland which is the National Framework for Improved Health and Well-being 2013-2025. The Framework is based on evidence and experience from around the world which clearly shows that to create positive changes in health and well-being takes the involvement of the whole of Government and all of society working in unison. Since Healthy Ireland was launched in March 2013, my Department has launched the following health and well-being initiatives:
The National Sexual Health Strategy 2015 - 2020;
Tobacco Free Ireland - Report of the Tobacco Policy Review Group;
The National Positive Ageing Strategy;
Get Ireland Active - National Physical Activity Plan for Ireland;
A Healthy Weight for Ireland - Obesity Policy and Action Plan;
The National Healthy Cities and Counties of Ireland Network; and
Healthy Food for Life - The Healthy Eating Guidelines and Food Pyramid.
It is not possible to identify in totality how much funding is currently spent on improving health and well-being across all Government Departments and agencies and in wider society.
Since the launch of Healthy Ireland, expenditure on its implementation from within the budget of the Department of Health has amounted to the following:
|
Year |
Amount € |
|
2013 |
€89,315.07 |
|
2014 |
€586,470.90 |
|
2015 |
€607,706.83.02 |
|
2016 |
€1,156,405.67 |
|
2017 |
€69,959.03. |
In addition to the expenditure noted above, other expenditure arising within the Department could also be described as "Healthy Ireland" depending on classification.
As the Deputy is aware, operational responsibility for the delivery of specific initiatives promoting health and well-being by the health services is a matter for the HSE. Expenditure arising in the HSE, particularly in the Health and Well-being Division, could also be described as implementation of Healthy Ireland. However, it is not possible to disaggregate expenditure on promoting and improving health and well-being generally from overall HSE expenditure. Again, for example, within overall HSE expenditure, and in addition to work which is an integral part of the Health and Well-being Division, a large component of health promotion and improvement work takes place across the acute and primary care services as part of normal day to day activity. There is also expenditure arising in relation to communications campaigns by the HSE.
