Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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207. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated cost to fully implement the recommendations of the Report on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community for each recommendation in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26684/22]

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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The Report of the Joint Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community was published in November, 2021. The report contains 21 recommendations relating to the health needs of Travellers. The report builds on and complements the existing 35 health actions in the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021 (NTRIS).

The Programme for Government commits to the publication of national Traveller health action plan to address the specific health needs of Travellers, using a social determinants approach. The lead role in developing the action plan rests with the HSE, in conjunction with Traveller organisations. A HSE steering committee, which included representatives of Traveller organisations, has drafted the action plan, to address the specific health needs of Travellers, including physical, mental and social well-being needs. The report of the Joint Committee is a valuable contribution to the development of the plan. 

Covid-19 has brought into focus the health inequalities faced by Traveller communities. From the outset of the Covid pandemic, a range of additional measures were put in place by the HSE and local authorities to mitigate the risks faced by the Traveller community. The Traveller health action plan will reflect the lessons from the public health response to Covid-19. 

The Department has engaged with the HSE in the drafting of the Traveller Health Action Plan, to ensure that the plan is aligned with the Department's policy priorities to provide better access to health services for socially excluded groups and to address health inequalities, as set out in the Sláintecare implementation strategy and action plan 2021-2023, the Healthy Ireland strategic action plan 2021-2025 and the Statement of Strategy 2021-2023. 

The publication and implementation of the Traveller health action plan is a priority for the Department and the HSE in 2022. The Department is fully committed to providing the leadership and resources to support its implementation. The funding required to implement the agreed actions in the Traveller health action plan, including relevant actions from the report of the Joint Committee, will be considered in the context of Estimates 2023. 

I look forward to the imminent publication of the Traveller health action plan and to working together with all stakeholders to improve the health experiences and health outcomes for Travellers, in a  comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable manner.