Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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861. To ask the Minister for Health if she will consider increasing investment in dementia research, given that it currently accounts for less than 1.5% of total health research output; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36186/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Research is cited as one of the six Priority Action Areas of the National Dementia Strategy and the need for research and evidence is highlighted as a priority for service planning and delivery as well as to advance understanding of the cause, cure and care of dementia.

The Programme for Government sets out eight key priorities in terms of dementia care and support, one of which is to work with the National Dementia Office and key stakeholders to develop a National Dementia Registry to map services, identify need and plan the delivery of equitable access to services.

In line with both commitments, on 23 May 2025, Minister of State Kieran O’Donnell T.D. with responsibility for Older People announced that implementation of the National Dementia Registry for Ireland had commenced. The Registry is intended to improve patient care quality and clinical outcomes for people with dementia, provide data for service provision, feed into policy development, and facilitate research. This will address the need for evidence based research and enhance service planning and delivery.

Over the past five years, €19 million in new funding for dementia has been provided, including €2 million in Budget 2025, focusing both on community-based services and new diagnostic and post-diagnostic support services, which the Government aims to progressively increase and improve upon.

The Health Research Board, the largest funder of health and social care research in the state, has funded Dementia Trials Ireland since 2020 at a total cost of €2.5m over five years. The objective of DTI is to significantly develop and expand the current small dementia clinical trials portfolio to include studies of diverse types. These trials will include proof of concept to implementation, non-pharmacological to pharmacological approaches, suitable for all stages and all sub-types of dementia. There is a large focus within the network on public and patient involvement.

The HRB also funds the Dementia Research Ireland Network. The aim of the DRNI is to support, facilitate and promote interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers, academics, policy makers, PPI, and other stakeholders.

As part of the 2026 Estimates process, my Department will fully consider all requests to further expand and progress dementia services to support people with dementia and their families, in order to ensure that they can live as well and as independently as possible.