Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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753. To ask the Minister for Health if he will publish an implementation plan for the Women’s Health Action Plan 2024-2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36634/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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In April of this year I launched the Women’s Health Action Plan 2024-2025 Phase 2: An Evolution in Women’s Health. This plan represents the next phase in women's health. It continues to build on the invaluable work undertaken through the previous Women's Health Action Plan 2022-2023, as well as having a focus on new and innovative developments.

Significant investment has been made in the area of Women’s Health in recent years to support the implementation of these two Action Plans, with dedicated additional funding of €140 million being allocated since 2020.

Both Action Plans, rather than encompass the vast range of women's health areas, seek to "spotlight" a number of key women's health initiatives that the Women's Health Taskforce, women themselves and clinicians have prioritised. This is in parallel with the continuing steady progress on our core programmes, reforms and strategies. This approach has proven very successful in accelerating the delivery of a number of specific health services and initiatives over the past few years e.g. specialist menopause clinics, post-natal hubs, free contraception scheme, endometriosis services, ambulatory gynaecology clinics, perinatal mental health services etc.

The new Plan, which I launched in April, contains threes pillars; Building on Progress, New Spotlights and Listening & Learning. There are 37 specific and measurable actions outlined in the Plan. My Department, in conjunction with the Women's Health Taskforce, will continue to track and monitor the implementation of these specific actions to ensure that the progress we have made in improving the health outcomes of women in Ireland continues in 2024 and 2025.