I propose to take Questions Nos. 341, 342, 344 and 345 together.
Health and well-being are not evenly distributed across society. There are socially excluded groups who experience extreme health inequalities. Such groups include Travellers, homeless people, refugees and asylum seekers and people with addiction issues. Inequalities in health are reflected in the mortality and morbidity rates of the population. Rates of chronic diseases are another indicator of health inequalities. A social gradient is also apparent in mental health.
The Department has undertaken significant measures across the health service to address the health needs of Travellers, including funding for the All Ireland Traveller Health Study. There is ongoing and extensive engagement with Traveller organisations on their health needs.
The Department and the HSE participate in various official structures which monitor the provision of healthcare services for Travellers. These include the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy Steering Committee and the Traveller Health Advisory Forum. The Department's Healthy Ireland Network also has Traveller representatives.
The National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy (NTRIS) sets out over 30 actions to address the health needs of Travellers and Roma. The Department and the HSE report regularly on the implementation of these actions to the NTRIS steering group, chaired by Minister David Stanton. One of the NTRIS actions is for the HSE to develop and implement a detailed action plan to continue to address the specific health needs of Travellers, using a social determinants approach.
I am fully committed to improving the health outcomes for Travellers and I look forward to receiving from the HSE its Traveller health action plan in due course.