Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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1375. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 309 of 20 January 2022, the details of the Irish representatives on the sub-group established by the Steering Group on Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Management of Non-Communicable Diseases to advise the Commission on the implementation of the Healthier together: EU Non-communicable Diseases Initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19374/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As mentioned in my earlier reply, my Department has nominated officials from its Health & Wellbeing, Mental Health and North-South, EU & International Units to participate in the sub-group established by the Steering Group on Health Promotion, Disease Prevention and Management of Non-Communicable Diseases on the Healthier together - EU Non-communicable Diseases (NCD) Initiative. Officials have attended the three meetings of the sub-group that have taken place to date.

Details of the sub-group's meetings and its work are regularly published on the Commission's website (ec.europa.eu/health/non-communicable-diseases/overview_en).

The sub-group is working with the European Commission on a new initiative to support EU countries in reducing the burden of NCDs, focusing on five areas:

- cardiovascular diseases;

- diabetes;

- chronic respiratory diseases;

- mental health and neurological disorders;

- health determinants.

This work is in addition to Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, which is already in place. The Commission hopes to publish the new initiative later this year.