Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)
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527. To ask the Minister for Health if she has received correspondence (details supplied); her response to the proposal related to Ireland assuming the Presidency of the Council of the European Union; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40269/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The National Rare Disease Steering Group was established in December 2023. The Steering Group was tasked with developing a new Rare Disease Strategy for Ireland that set out the vision for rare disease services in Ireland and the actions that were required to achieve this.

The Steering Group finalised the National Rare Disease Strategy in the last number of weeks. I have approved the Strategy and it has been approved by Government in the last week. It is expected that a launch will take place in the coming weeks with implementation commencing immediately afterwards.

With regard to hosting a Rare Disease Conference, I can confirm that I have received correspondence from Rare Diseases Ireland in relation to this. Officials in my Department are currently engaging with relevant stakeholders about how Ireland can best highlight and progress a rare disease agenda as part of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It is also envisaged that with the publication and implementation of the new Strategy there will be specific events held to raise awareness of rare diseases over the Strategy's lifetime.