Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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310. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the specific actions that his Department will take in relation to the iNAP2 plan, to ensure that cross-discipline research is enabled. [53905/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is recognised as a global threat to health, livelihoods, food security and the achievement of many of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The second One Health National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (iNAP2) was developed after stakeholder engagement and one of its five strategic objectives is to promote research and sustainable investment in new medicines, diagnostic tools, vaccines and other interventions. Cross-discipline research is an important aspect of research and something that has been encouraged and facilitated by my departments approach to research funding for some time.

Specifically, my Department has recently established an AMR Thematic Network with broad stakeholder representation to guide on future research avenues to explore. The Network composition includes officials from my Department and a variety of representatives from research and academic institutions

Other supports from my Department for cross-discipline research on AMR include international collaboration such as participation in an upcoming Horizon Europe Partnership on AMR which commences in 2023. In 2021, my Department also supported the European Research Area Network (ERANET) Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) for AMR. Four Irish research performing organisation secured over €600,000 in funding and this will facilitate their collaboration with research partners in other countries and in different fields of expertise.

In addition, funding for collaborative AMR research has been provided from a number of research Calls run by my Department. An example of this is the 'AMURAP' project which involves collaboration between Teagasc, the University College Dublin School of Veterinary Medicine, and DAFM, to study the use of antibiotics in Irish pig and chicken farms and the consequences in the appearance of bacteria resistant to antibiotics in products and the environment.

I am committed to building on these initiatives and further advancing cross-disciplinary research to tackle AMR.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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311. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine 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. [53908/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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It is a high-level priority of my Department to deliver Ireland’s second One Health National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2021-2025 (iNAP2), in conjunction with the Department of Health and stakeholders, to mitigate the impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Several projects are currently underway in the iNAP2 that use and build upon research findings and data generated in Ireland's National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2017-2020(iNAP). My Department is already seeing the tangible benefits of the outputs of several research projects delivered by iNAP, where research is translated into policy.

Specific measures have been introduced in many of my Department's Schemes and services that involve the tracking of antimicrobial usage (AMU). The Pigs Exceptional Payments Scheme 2 (PEPS2) requires an applicant to be actively supplying antimicrobial data to my Departments AMU database in order to benefit. During World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2020,my Department launched an antibiotic use calculator tool for dairy herds' which enables farmers to “self-monitor” their use of antibiotics to support behaviour change and reduce usage. My Department, together with Animal Health Ireland (AHI), has developed specialised training programmes for farmers and vets which assist in delivering upon the changes that are required as a result of the new regulations on veterinary medicinal products and medicated feed. My Department has also, as a result of data generated and analysed under iNAP, introduced guidelines and policies on the prudent use of antimicrobials such as the selective approach to dry cow therapy.

iNAP2 continues to promote research that will be used to shape future policy to curb AMR which additionally includes sustainable investment in new medicines, diagnostic tools, vaccines and the role of the environment in the dissemination and spread of AMR. Further research outputs are expected under iNAP2 which will continue to support Ireland’s ambition to be a world leader in sustainable food systems whilst promoting the responsible use of antimicrobials in agriculture.