Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful to have the opportunity to update the House on this important matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Harris. Climate change adaptation planning within the health sector is crucial. It involves two key areas, first, the protection of the health and well-being of our population and, second, ensuring the resilience of our health service so it can continue to operate during severe weather events.

The Department of Health continues to work with key stakeholders within the wider health sector and other key sectors to identify the priority actions associated with climate change adaptation for the health sector. The Department is represented on the national adaptation steering committee since 2014 and, more recently, on the Government’s high-level climate action steering group, chaired by the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment. The health sector has also been represented by a specialist in public health medicine in the HSE at the national adaptation steering committee and a variety of other relevant fora, including the Climate Change Advisory Council adaptation committee.

Vulnerability assessment of the health infrastructure and services is a key component of our planning. Some of this is already occurring through severe weather planning and emergency management structure in the HSE. It provides for vulnerability assessment for all services provided by the HSE and will form the basis for the bulk of vulnerability assessment across the sector. The planning is service and geographically based, and overlaps with business continuity planning in many cases. There has been preparation and activation of emergency plans followed by “lessons learned” during the weather events of 2017-18, such as Storm Ophelia, Storm Emma and the heatwave experienced during summer 2018, which will be incorporated in future planning scenarios. Current weather and climate-related risks continue to be assessed. For example, during severe weather events, there have been dynamic public health risk assessments and public health medical advice developed to protect the public. Future risk assessment may largely depend on the results of the vulnerability assessment but also on the adaptation actions of other sectors, as health impact is mainly an end point of the effects of climate change on other sectors. Adaptation options that are already required to manage current risks are being implemented and will continue to be mainstreamed, monitored and reviewed.Ongoing business continuity planning will meet some of the requirements.

Another important action involves assessing current information systems in order to develop appropriate data capable of identifying changing patterns of illness and disease related to climate change, and to measure and monitor them through health surveillance and investigation. Work has commenced with the EPA to agree a research agenda for the sector relating to climate change adaptation and health.

In addition to the work relating to climate-change adaptation within our sector, the health sector is providing expert public health expertise to other sectors on the health impacts that need to be addressed in their plans. The delivery of a climate-change adaptation plan for the health sector will require a high level of collaboration across sectors on an ongoing basis to create evidence-based solutions that are collectively aligned with our pursuit of a transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient and environmentally-sustainable economy together with the achievement of a healthy Ireland.