Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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780. To ask the Minister for Health her plans to adequately resource the National Strategy for Accelerating Genetic and Genomic Medicine to position Ireland as an international leader in genomics; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37254/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The HSE’s National Genetics and Genomics Office (NGGO) was established in 2023 to implement the National Strategy for Accelerating Genetic and Genomic Medicine in Ireland (2022; The National Strategy). The NGGO's activities include coordinating a national approach to genetics and genomics, ensuring patient and public involvement (PPI) and partnerships, building the genetics and genomics workforce for the future, enhancing genetic and genomic clinical services, and strengthening infrastructures to drive advances in genetics and genomics.

My Department, in collaboration with the HSEs National Genetics and Genomics Office (NGGO), continues to implement the National Strategy with the aim of addressing current challenges and taking steps to future proof our Genetics and Genomics Service while meeting the needs of the country's growing and changing population.

Earlier this year, my Department hosted the launch of the National Genomic Test Directory for Rare and Inherited Diseases which, alongside the other areas of the NGGO's work, points the way towards a fully transformed National Genetics and Genomics Service. A National Genomic Processing Service (NGPS) is also in development, the function of which will be to support the use of the Rare and Inherited Disease Test Directory and to act as a centralised hub for processing. Additional work is also ongoing with respect to Bioinformatics and ensuring we have the required supports in place to enable effective implementation of the Strategy.

My Department is fully committed to implementing the National Strategy on Genetics and Genomics and we look forward to continuing our support of the NGGO, and partnering with them in delivering on an innovative and impactful genomic medicine service for Ireland.