Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)

I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak about men's health and describe some of the initiatives that my Department and the HSE have in place to improve men's health. As a society, we are living longer and Ireland has one of the highest life expectancies in the EU. This should be celebrated, but it also brings challenges. We need to help people to enjoy good health and well-being at every stage of life and try to close the life expectancy gap between men and women. The Healthy Ireland vision is one where everyone can enjoy physical and mental health and well-being to their full potential and where well-being is valued at every level in society. Achieving this vision requires a whole of government and whole of society approach. My Department supports a range of programmes and partnerships to improve men's health.

The HSE has recently appointed a national programme manager to implement the men's health action plan. Alongside the voluntary sector, the HSE has led out on the development of a number of tailored programmes and campaigns on men's health. Engage, the national men's health training programme, provides health and community professionals with insights and skills on how to effectively engage men. This pioneering programme aims to improve the gender expertise of our health and social care workforce in relation to engaging men on their health. This training is delivered by HSE health promotion and improvement and co-ordinated by the Men's Development Network. Each year, the HSE provides funding for men's health week, which aims to raise awareness of men's health issues through public campaigns and community events across Ireland.

I acknowledge the invaluable work of the Irish Men's Sheds Association. My Department, along with the Department of rural and community development and the HSE, allocates funding to the association which does such excellent work in our communities. Men's sheds offer a supportive social environment for men, leading to reduce isolation, a stronger sense of community and improved health and well-being. There are over 450 men's sheds now established throughout the country. The sheds also deliver the sheds for life programme. This involves health workshops, screenings and wellness activities over a ten-week period. Topics such as healthy eating and physical activity are covered, along with mental health and chronic disease prevention. The aim is to support men in more open and meaningful discussion around their physical and mental well-being.

I also mention programmes, such as Moving On, which is a community-based physical activity programme delivered by the local sports partnerships. It has been successful in reaching men who might not otherwise participate in exercise classes and similar classes. It gives them a chance. As someone who is learning in my role, I agree with other speakers that it is about communication and information, and letting men know what is available for them. We have such good schemes and services in place and other things we can help with. On Feirm Ground is another successful initiative. This is a partnership programme between my Department and the Department of agriculture. It trains agricultural advisers and veterinary staff to recognise signs of stress, mental health issues and ill health among farmers and make referrals to their doctor and talk about it. This is an excellent example of cross-government work. I acknowledge the leadership demonstrated by my colleagues in relation to improving farmer health and well-being.

Another area that I am passionate about is reducing the gender gap in life expectancy and improving the health and well-being of men. This means driving programmes such as those I outlined and encouraging greater participation in screening and health checks, which are vital. I am mindful that men account for over 70% of the cases treated for problem drug use last year. As Deputies know, the topic of drugs is within my remit. Men have also accounted for the majority of drug poisoning deaths every year since 2012. While it is positive that men engage with drug services in large numbers, it is important that we focus on prevention and address the root causes of problematic drug use in men's lives at earlier stages. We must make health services more accessible to men, expand our models and encourage men to seek help. That is one area we are promoting. We need say, "Seek help; it is there." I am committed to supporting the implementation of the men's health action plan in the HSE. I will be exploring the opportunities, with Healthy Ireland, for further cross-government work in 2026. I will seek to place a real focus on prevention and education in our upcoming national drug strategy. I look forward to updating the House on this as the drafting progresses.

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