Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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48. To ask the Minister for Health the expected timeline for developing a new national cardiovascular policy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34832/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) encompasses a range of conditions including heart attack and stroke. It remains a leading cause of death in Ireland and significant hospital bed days. CVD claimed the lives of almost 10,000 people in Ireland in 2023 and is estimated to cost the Irish state €1.7 billion annually, with 46% of this being direct healthcare costs.

Ireland has made progress in tackling CVD. Today, CVD mortality is about half of the levels of 1995, however, CVD still accounts for 27.8% of all deaths in Ireland. However, the absolute number of CVD cases has increased due to the rise in population and Ireland’s ageing demographics. CVD imposes significant social and personal costs for patients including reduced quality of life, and potential lost earnings.

Irish officials working with EU colleagues contributed to a new Council Conclusion on the improvement of cardiovascular health adopted on 3rd December 2024, marking a strong political commitment towards improving cardiovascular health across Europe.

CVD and its management are prioritised through national policy, strategies, and clinical programmes, which include models of care for stroke, acute coronary syndromes, heart failure and chronic disease management. The Programme for Government (PfG) 2025 commits to “Building on the existing National Cardiovascular Policy, we will develop a new and more ambitious plan enhancing patient care and timely access across all regions.”

On April 8th, the National Review of Adult Specialist Cardiac Services was published. This comprehensive, evidence-based report provides 23 key recommendations to inform future cardiac health policy. It offers both a data-driven analysis and a clear roadmap for reforming cardiac services across the country. DoH officials are now working closely with the HSE to progress the implementation of these recommendations, and the Minister expects to receive an update on the next steps in the coming days.

Cardiovascular health has been prioritised in Budget 2025, which allocates over €9 million in full-year funding to support vital cardiovascular initiatives. Budget 2025 allocated €4 million full year costs, and 45 WTEs to progress cardiac services. This investment facilitates the initial steps in cardiac services reform and will support the development of a new cardiovascular strategy in the longer term. In the short term, we will deliver enhanced cardiac services and develop the necessary structures to ensure success in the longer term.

With regard to services for stoke, the National Stroke Strategy was published in 2022 and over €13m has been allocated to its implementation to date. The Stroke Strategy aims to modernise our Stroke services in line with Sláintecare and ensure the future readiness of services given our ageing demography and the predicted rise in stroke incidence in coming decades. Most recently in Budget 2025, of the €9m invested in Cardiovascular Health, full year costs of €5m were allocated which will provide 56 WTEs to strengthen Acute Stroke units and expand the Early Supported Discharge Team network from 11- 15 teams nationally.

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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49. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on the efforts to reform the oral healthcare, including the new national oral health policy, Smile and Sláinte; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34600/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The National Oral Health Policy, Smile Agus Sláinte, sets out the vision for oral healthcare services in Ireland and has two key goals:

1. To provide the supports to enable every individual to achieve their personal best oral health; and

2. To reduce oral health inequalities across the population, by enabling vulnerable people to access oral healthcare and improve their oral health.

Budget 2025 allocated €2m for 2025, increasing to €4m in 2026, to continue the implementation of the National Oral Health Policy. The implementation plan for the first phase of policy rollout to end-2027 is being finalised by my Department and the HSE, following targeted consultation in Q3 2024. Once published, the plan will set out the priorities for this first phase of implementation, which include reform of services for adults and children.

This Budget 2025 investment is also supporting the recruitment of an additional 15 HSE oral healthcare staff to deliver oral healthcare in the community for children and for adult medical card holders with additional needs, thereby supporting access to the current model of service while policy implementation proceeds.

The Policy also contains a range of strategic workforce planning actions to increase national workforce capacity, in support of improving patient access to care. My Department has recently finalised a workforce census framework for oral healthcare and work is progressing on a scoping project for a mid-level professional grade for oral healthcare, as an additional measure to increase capacity in the workforce. A programme to encourage the redistribution of oral healthcare professionals to underserved areas is also a key action in the Policy. For oral healthcare professionals working in isolated rural areas far away from centres of education, it will be essential to provide support in the form of mentoring programmes as well as by introducing long-distance and accessible continuing development education programmes.