Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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14. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for an update on the Programme for Government commitment to develop a new national life sciences strategy. [37448/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The life sciences sector is one of the strongest drivers of our economy, fuelling both growth and exports. It combines a thriving indigenous enterprise base with some of the world's largest multinational companies, underpinned by a continually advancing world-class research ecosystem. Today, the sector employs over 100,000 people across the length and breadth of the country.

With this in mind the Programme for Government set out our commitment to publish a National Life Sciences Strategy that will guide the sector’s continued success and long-term impact. That commitment was further reaffirmed as a key deliverable in the recently published Action Plan for Competitiveness and Productivity.

This strategy will reflect the life sciences sector in Ireland and must be coherent, ambitious and responsive to emerging opportunities at a national, EU and global level. In order to achieve this, it will require extensive engagement with key stakeholders across the life sciences ecosystem and this engagement has begun.

My Department will continue to work in close collaboration with the relevant Departments, agencies, and key industry stakeholders to ensure the effective development and implementation of the strategy. A key part of that collaboration will be the planned initial public consultation which will be launched in the coming weeks, and I would encourage all interested stakeholders to submit observations.

Support for the life sciences sector—underpinned by the forthcoming National Strategy—is essential to safeguarding Ireland’s economic growth. The strategy will aim to foster innovation, boost competitiveness, and support high-value employment, while creating the right conditions to ensure access to medicines and medical technologies that improve health outcomes.