I propose to take Questions Nos. 143 and 145 together.
The Department provides funding in the region of €10m per annum to the HSE for targeted measures to improve the health status of the Travelling community. These include:
- primary healthcare projects, counselling services, family support programmes and men's health projects; dedicated public health nurses and related staff;
- mental health promotion and suicide prevention services in a culturally sensitive manner, to reduce the stigma associated with mental health.
The Department will allocate €17 billion to the HSE for the delivery of health services in 2020. The details of these services will be set out in the HSE National Service Plan for 2020. The plan will include specific measures to improve Traveller health, including a Traveller health action plan.
Both I and the Minister for Health are engaged and supportive of the Traveller health action plan and we are committed to providing the leadership to support the implementation of the plan.