Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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295. To ask the Minister for Health the date for the publication of the national action plan on antimicrobial resistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9169/17]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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296. To ask the Minister for Health if there are timelines and targets in respect of the management of antimicrobial resistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9170/17]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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297. To ask the Minister for Health the actions that will be taken whereby an institution fails to effectively deal with the control of antimicrobial resistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9171/17]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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298. To ask the Minister for Health if, with regard to the national action plan on antimicrobial resistance, additional funding will be made available to tackle this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9172/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 295 to 298, inclusive, together.

The rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) 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.

The extensive use, misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in both human and animal health have increasingly raised levels of AMR in a wide range of pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites) – in all countries and in patients of all age groups. With increasing travel and trade in food, drug resistance can spread rapidly and new resistance mechanisms are emerging, which make it difficult or impossible to treat certain infections. If Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) continues to rise it will become increasingly difficult and expensive to control and treat infections in medical care and more difficult to maintain animal health and welfare.

The WHO Global Action Plan 2015 sets out five Strategic Objectives:

(1) to improve awareness and understanding of antimicrobial resistance;

(2) to strengthen knowledge through surveillance and research;

(3) to reduce the incidence of infection;

(4) to optimise the use of antimicrobial agents and

(5) to develop the economic case for sustainable investment that takes account of the needs of all countries, and increase investment in new medicines, diagnostic tools, vaccines and other interventions.

The WHO expects that countries will develop their own national action plans on antimicrobial resistance in line with the Global Plan. European Council Conclusions - ‘The next steps under a ‘One Health approach to combat antimicrobial resistance' adopted at the June 2016 EPSCO (Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs) Council meeting call 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 2011 a national Health Service Executive/Royal College of Physicians in Ireland (HSE/RCPI) Clinical Advisory Group on HCAI/AMR (Healthcare Associated Infections/antimicrobial Resistance) was established to provide expert advice to the public health system and a HCAI Clinical Programme within the HSE was put in place.

The HSE established a National Taskforce on HCAI and AMR in 2015 to support and advise on providing effective system-wide response to the issue. The Taskforce will oversee the continuing development and implementation of an Action Plan to address HCAI/AMR across the Hospital Groups and Community Healthcare Organisations with support from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) and Public Health Directorate of the HSE.

The National Healthcare Quality Reporting System (NHQRS) publishes data on antibiotic prescribing in the community as well as MRSA and Clostridium difficile(C. difficile) rates. The second annual report of the NHQRS was published in June 2016. As the majority of human antimicrobial consumption in Ireland takes place at community level it is important to have a measure of consumption. Measuring rates of MRSA infection is used as a quality measure in many countries while C. difficile rates in hospitals are recognised and used internationally as a good measure of the quality and safety of a healthcare service.

In recognition of the serious and increasing threat of AMR 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 to address this issue. 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 Ireland’s requirements to have an Intersectoral co-ordination mechanism for addressing AMR at European level, as outlined in Council Conclusions. The Committee meets bi-annually and its next scheduled meeting will take place on 6th April 2017.

The Committee and the Departments of Health and Agriculture, Food & the Marine are currently working to finalise Ireland's National Action Plan on AMR. This work is ongoing and it is expected that the Plan will be published in 2017. The Plan is examining strategies to optimise Ireland's response to AMR and this examination will include both timelines for implementation and resource requirements. I am considering seeking cross-Government support for the National Action Plan. I welcome the recognition by the Deputy of the seriousness of AMR.