Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Antimicrobials are one of the most important medical advances of the past 100 years and have become essential for the treatment of bacterial disease in both the human and animal populations. They are also important tools for the protection of animal welfare.

However, antimicrobials are increasingly under threat from the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).  AMR (the ability of micro-organisms to survive in the presence of an antimicrobial agent that in the past was sufficient to kill the micro-organism) is a global public health concern and threatens the very foundations of modern medicine. A UK review on Anti-microbial resistance conducted in 2014, estimates that currently some 700,000 human deaths (50,000 in the USA and Europe) are associated with AMR bacteria annually.

Given the seriousness and cross-sectoral threat posed by AMR, it is necessary for a ‘whole of Government’ or ‘One Health’ approach to tackling the problem across the human health, animal health and environmental sectors.  My Department and the Department of Health jointly established a high level National Interdepartmental AMR Consultative Committee in 2015 and this Committee has provided guidance in relation to the development of Ireland’s first National Action Plan on AMR. The overall goal of the National Action Plan on AMR is to ensure, for as long as possible, the availability of effective antimicrobial treatment options for both the human and animal populations, with safe medicines that are quality-assured, used in a responsible way, and accessible to all who need them. The Plan is a comprehensive roadmap, aimed at protecting the efficacy of antimicrobials.  It sets out strategic interventions and activities to address AMR and prioritises areas for action in a phased manner, including addressing the prudent use of antibiotics across all sectors.