Shane Moynihan (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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55. To ask the Minister for Health the measures being taken to increase clinical trials and better support clinicians, researchers and staff to focus on clinical trial activity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34618/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for creating this opportunity for me to provide an update on the ongoing work within my Department to increase Clinical Trials in Ireland. The National Clinical Trials Oversight Group (NCTOG) was set up in July 2024 to investigate the challenges of undertaking clinical trials in Ireland, and to formulate solutions to meet those challenges. The Group published its interim recommendations in October 2024, and these were noted by Government on 7th November 2024.

As a focused group of experts in the area of clinical trials of investigational medicinal products, the NCTOG is well-placed to make recommendations that will have a transformative impact on the clinical trials landscape in Ireland, helping improve access to life-saving cutting-edge medicines and ultimately providing better patient outcomes. I had the pleasure of meeting with them in February, and their commitment to achieve these core objectives is clearly evident.

The NCTOG's Interim Recommendations directly address core administrative barriers hindering our clinical trial capabilities. Improvements in areas such as contracts, costings, and data protection are already evident, signaling that we are on the right track in looking to boost our competitiveness as a premier destination for high-quality clinical trials.

In the area of streamlining clinical trials agreements, a revised Clinical Trial Agreement contract template has been created by the HSE in partnership with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association. This is now in use at HSE hospitals, and thanks to the efforts of the NCTOG, discussions are underway to implement these contracts more widely across our healthcare system. These solutions are being applied in real-world settings, and users are reporting that it is improving the speed at which contracted parties can reach agreement to undertake clinical trials and thus provide the potential for better patient outcomes.

This measurable progress has also been noted by the recent "Clinical Trials Activity Comparison Report" published by the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) in May 2025 which highlighted encouraging trends across Ireland's clinical trial landscape.

Key Findings from the IPHA Report:

• Increase in Trials: There was a 34% increase in the number of pharmaceutical industry-sponsored clinical trials commenced in Ireland between 2023 and 2024.
• Faster "First Patient In": The average time to recruit the first patient into a trial significantly improved, dropping by 31% from 67 days in 2023 to 46 days in 2024.