Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

557. To ask the Minister for Health his progress in drafting the national action plan on anti-microbial resistance; if this plan will be subject to public and industry stakeholder consultation and if not, why not; if he is satisfied that with less than one year to go before the completion of the plan the inter-departmental group established to examine and draft this report has not consulted with wider expert stakeholders outside of the Health Service Executive and his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21013/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The rise in antimicrobial resistance is universally recognised at global, European and national levels, including Ireland, as one of the greatest potential threats to human and animal health with possible serious consequences for public health, animal welfare and the agriculture and food sectors.

There is international consensus through the ‘One Health’ Initiative to which the WHO (World Health Organisation), FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) and the OIE (World Health Organisation for Animal Health) are signatories, that tackling the global public health threat of AMR requires action across human and animal health sectors, agriculture and the wider environment.

The 'One Health' concept is a worldwide strategy for expanding interdisciplinary collaborations and communications in all aspects of health care for humans, animals and the environment. Recognising that human health, animal health and ecosystem health are inextricably linked, ‘One Health’ seeks to promote, improve and defend the health and well-being of all species by enhancing cooperation and collaboration between physicians, veterinarians, other scientific health and environmental professionals and by promoting strengths in leadership and management to achieve these goals.

The European Union at both Council and European Parliament levels supports a Community Strategy against AMR having regard to the 'One Health' concept. The Commission's 2012 AMR 5-year action plan has recently been revised through Council Conclusions on the next steps under a ‘One Health’ approach to combat AMR, adopted at the Council's Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) meeting on 17th June last. Ireland has continued to support the EU drive to combat AMR and contributed to discussions on the new Council Conclusions. The Council calls on Member States to have in place before mid-2017 'a national action plan against Antimicrobial resistance based on the One Health approach and in line with the objectives of the WHO Global Action Plan'.

In recognition of the serious and increasing threat of antimicrobial resistance and the requirement for a ‘whole of Government’ approach to health issues, the Department of Health’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) established a high level National Interdepartmental AMR Consultative Committee in 2014 to address this issue. The Committee meets Ireland’s requirements to have an Intersectoral co-ordinating mechanism for addressing AMR at European level, including the development of a national action plan against AMR as required of Member States in the WHO's Global Action Plan against AMR (2015).

The Committee has a clear role and mandate across the human and animal health sectors. Committee membership consists of representatives of both Departments and of the relevant HSE and veterinary specialist agencies, including other relevant bodies with a remit across the two sectors; membership is representative of major stakeholders. The Committee meets bi-annually and its last meeting was in April 2016. The Committee's work plan for 2016 includes development of a national action plan against AMR and work, which includes ongoing engagement with all relevant stakeholders, both Committee member and others. This work is continuing and the Committee is scheduled to meet again in late 2016 to assess progress on this major agenda item.

The prevention and control of healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) and AMR has been a significant patient safety and public health priority for the Department of Health Ireland for numerous years. Ireland as a whole is fully committed to and engaged in addressing resolution of the problem of AMR and will continue to collaborate at international, EU and national levels to this end.