Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)

There is increasing recognition that health outcomes are influenced by income, housing, educational attainment and other factors that fall outside the remit of the health sector. Within that sector, there is also a need to develop policies and services that address the particular needs of specific groups, such as Travellers, homeless adults, drug users and prisoners.

My Department participates in the senior officials group on social inclusion, which operates under the aegis of the Department of the Taoiseach and aims to improve the position of lower socio-economic groups and others at risk of social exclusion. It also works with the HSE and other agencies to provide more effective health services to marginalised groups.

By way of example, my Department established the Traveller Health Advisory Committee and has commissioned the all-Ireland Traveller health study, which we will have to hand later this year. It has also contributed to the development of the homelessness strategy published by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in 2008 as well as working with the HSE to improve the provision of health services to homeless adults. It works closely with the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs on the implementation of the national drugs strategy and with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform in terms of forensic mental health services. It has also developed a policy on service users' involvement, with a particular focus on marginalised groups. It works with the HSE to ensure this is fully implemented.

The Department maintains a close working relationship with the Institute of Public Health in Ireland, IPH, which has a specific remit in respect of health inequality. The Department has just nominated the institute to be its representative on a three-year EU joint action programme on health inequality.

Reducing the effect of poverty on health outcomes is a common challenge for health systems around the world. My Department is committed to working with other stakeholders to tackle and reduce health inequality.

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