As the Deputy will be aware, I, together with my colleague Minister Feighan, announced the establishment of an independent Public Health Reform Expert Advisory Group in January. Membership of the Public Health Reform Expert Advisory Group is comprised of national and international experts with experience across a range of key domains, including public health, health protection, epidemiology, senior public health service leadership, change management, and risk and evidence communication.
The Expert Group will initially focus on identifying learnings from the public health components of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland with a view towards strengthening health protection generally and future public health pandemic preparedness specifically. The Expert Group will also identify lessons from international best practice regarding reform and strengthening of other core public health functions, including the promotion of health and wellbeing, population health research and health intelligence and health service improvement.
To inform the Expert Advisory Group’s work, a wide consultation process will commence shortly. Further information on the Expert Group and details of its membership can be found online: www.gov.ie/en/press-release/8beb5-ministers-for-health-establish-the-public-health-reform-expert-advisory-group/