Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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672. To ask the Minister for Health to provide an update on the HSE social prescribing programme which helps combat social isolation, if she will outline if this programme is still fully operational in the Dublin Bay North constituency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26960/25]

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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673. To ask the Minister for Health if the HSE will expand community support services for individuals who are isolated from their community and are suffering from prolonged loneliness; if she will outline the measures the HSE will take to deal with this growing issue in the Dublin Bay North constituency and specifically the Clontarf, Raheny, Killester area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26961/25]

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 672 and 673 together.

Evidence shows loneliness is a significant issue for population health. A number of different studies have linked loneliness to multiple chronic health conditions. Loneliness levels in Ireland are rising; the Covid -19 pandemic was a major contributory factor to increases in social isolation.

The 2023 Healthy Ireland Survey reported that 4% of respondents reported feeling lonely most or all of the time, with 10% reporting feeling lonely some of the time. The 2023 and 2024 Surveys showed improvements in mental health scores as compared with 2021, which was conducted while pandemic restrictions were still in place. However, these were still lower than those measured in 2016, prior to the pandemic.

Social prescribing recognises that health is heavily determined by social factors such as poverty, isolation and loneliness. It offers GPs and other health professionals a means of linking patients, through primary care, with community-based supports, including arts and creativity, physical activity, group supports, green activity, and computerised therapy.

Social prescribing has been shown to result in positive emotional, cognitive, and social outcomes, especially in reducing social exclusion for disadvantaged, isolated, lonely, and vulnerable people, many of whom live with depression and anxiety.

HSE-funded Social Prescribing services are now available in 44 locations across the country, with at least one in every county. The Sláintecare Healthy Communities Programme (SHCP), which is in place in 19 of Ireland’s most deprived communities, includes social prescribing as one of its core supports, in addition to supports for parenting, healthy diet, quitting smoking, addiction supports and healthier living. These services are delivered in partnership with community and voluntary organisations such as Family Resource Centres and Local Development Companies. SHCP is to expand to four additional areas in Q3, 2025.

HSE Health & Wellbeing has established a HSE Social Prescribing Advisory Group whose role is to provide strategic direction and guidance to support the effective implementation and integration of social prescribing within the HSE. The group consists of HSE cross sectoral colleagues, social prescribing link workers, managers of host organisations and a service user. An e-learning module for Health Professionals on social prescribing has been developed and is available on HSELand.

The HSE is committed to developing the evidence base for social prescribing in Ireland and are developing a minimum outcomes framework for social prescribing, based on measures of mental wellbeing and social connectedness.

There is significant evidence that loneliness is a significant risk to physical as well as to mental health, increasing the risk of dementia and other chronic diseases with ageing. Social prescribing is a key support for social connectedness, positive mental health and loneliness prevention.

The HSE ICPOP programme has been set up and will provide a specialist service to older people similar to the service provided by the Social Prescribing Link Worker – known as a Community Connector. This is a specialist service for a specific cohort of older patients upon discharge from the Integrated Care Team for Older Persons being piloted across the HSE (one per CHO).

As the details of provision in Dublin Bay North are service matters, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy, as soon as possible.