Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Senator for giving me this opportunity to speak on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health, and outline the progress being made by the Government in this area. The promotion of physical activity for health is a priority under the Healthy Ireland framework, Ireland’s national strategy for improving the health and well-being of the population. This was evidenced by the publication of the national physical activity plan in 2016. Substantial progress has been made in the implementation of the 60 actions set out in the plan, co-led by the Department of Health and the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport. They are supported by a cross-sectoral implementation group that includes a range of other Government Departments and agencies. Healthy Ireland has used this collaborative approach to inform its support for Sport Ireland, which targets initiatives that promote population levels of physical activity and those with a health dimension. The Department of Health also directly supports national governing bodies for walking, cycling, swimming and running, as well as organisations to promote physical activity such as Parkrun, Age and Opportunity and Men’s Sheds. Increasing physical activity levels in children and young people is a priority. The Departments of Health, education and sport and their respective agencies are collaborating extensively to promote and access physical activity and sport in schools. This joined-up approach is crucial to the roll-out of continued development of the active school flag programme.

The first iteration of the 2016 plan has now reached the end of its timeframe. A successor framework and action plan has been developed and is in the process of being submitted to the Government for approval and publication. The framework seeks to put in place a range of longer term aims and objectives underpinning the need for consistent and coherent policy responses across a broad range of stakeholders to 2040. This recognises that the drivers of behavioural change are complex and challenging. The achievement of the objectives of this framework will be driven by a series of action plans. The first national physical activity action plan will cover the period to 2029 and sets out 59 commitments across a range of stakeholders and sectors.

ExWell is one of a range of organisations providing community-based exercise classes for chronic disease populations. These include patient support organisations, not-for-profit organisations and the publicly funded network of local sports partnerships across Ireland. The HSE works in partnership with many of these organisations to ensure access to exercise provision for adults living with chronic disease. Occasionally, the HSE has established formal working and funding relationships with ExWell Limited to provide access for patients to its exercise programmes. The cost structure of any programme administered by ExWell is a matter for that organisation.

The Department of Health is also working closely with the HSE on the design and implementation of a physical activity pathways in healthcare model of care, which will provide a structured physical activity programme for people with chronic disease or long-term health conditions, with a focus on building their skills and confidence to engage with and maintain recreational sport participation independently. Any future engagement with ExWell Medical will be considered in the context of these structures.