Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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277. To ask the Minister for Health the specific actions that his Department will take in relation to the iNAP2 plan, to ensure that cross-discipline research is enabled. [53904/22]

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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278. To ask the Minister for Health the way in which his Department is utilising the research data generated from Irish research in relation to the iNAP2 plan to date; and if his Department has analysed it or requested any communication with the scientists in order to ensure that the research is translated into policy. [53907/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 277 and 278 together.

Ireland’s second One Health National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2021-2025, known as iNAP2, was jointly published by the Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in November 2021. It is the successor plan to Ireland’s National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2017-2020, known as iNAP1.

Both plans adopt a One Health approach and align to the five Strategic Objectives as outlined in the WHO Global Action Plan (2015) and the requirements of the European Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) (2017).

The goal of the One Health concept is to encourage multidisciplinary collaborative efforts across different sectors such as human health, animal health, agriculture, and the environment to achieve the optimal health outcomes for people and animals. It advocates a “whole of society” approach, recognising that the health of people is connected to the health of animals and the environment. It has been acknowledged globally that a One Health approach is the most effective way to address the global AMR challenge. This is promoted by both the WHO and the European Commission.

Strategic Objective 5 of iNAP2 is to promote research and sustainable investment in new medicines, diagnostic tools, vaccines and other interventions. There are 33 actions across the human health, animal health and environment sectors under this objective. There is also an overarching One Health Action related to research, OH15: Promote research in the context of addressing AMR through an Ongoing One Health approach through research partners to fill research gaps. iNAP2 and these actions are available to view online at www.gov.ie/amr.

The Department of Health encourages cross-discipline research and this work is supported by the Health Research Board (HRB). The HRB is a State Agency under the Department of Health. The HRB support and fund health and social care research and provide evidence to inform policy and practice. The Joint Programming Initiative AMR (JPIAMR) is a global collaborative organisation and platform, engaging 28 nations to curb antimicrobial resistance with a One Health approach since 2011. The goal is to shape cohesive and coordinated AMR funding and actions that maximise on resources and reduce duplication of research. Since joining JPIAMR in 2017, Irish researchers have been partners in four transnational projects and eight Networks funded via JPIAMR, in the areas of transmission, surveillance and the environment, across five separate funding calls.

Irish participants (supported by HRB, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Environmental Protection Agency) were partners in a further seven networks in 2018 (6) and 2020 (1), with funding of €50K. In 2022, there were four successful partners in the “Diagnostics and Surveillance Networks” call, with funding of €50K.

HRB also plan to participate in the “Development of innovative strategies, tools, technologies, and methods for diagnostics and surveillance of antimicrobial resistance”: two-stage research projects call launching in January 2023, to facilitate Irish applications to this scheme. Since 2019 the HRB has also directly funded programmes in the region of 10 AMR related projects, valued at over €5M.

In line with iNAP2, the Department of Health will continue to work with partners and stakeholders to encourage and support cross-discipline research on AMR.