Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)
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203. To ask the Minister for Health the funding allocated to implementation of the new National Sexual Health Strategy 2025 – 2035 in Budget 2026; to provide a detailed breakdown of the funding allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57564/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Sexual health is a priority for this Government. The National Sexual Health Strategy, 2025-2035 (NSHS) and the first National Sexual Health Action Plan, 2025-2028 (NSHAP; included in the same document) were approved by Government on the 10th of June, 2025 and published on 25th June, 2025. The Press Release for the Strategy can be accessed here: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-health/press-releases/ministers-for-health-publish-the-national-sexual-health-strategy-2025-2035/

It was decided that the Strategy and Action Plan should be launched under the new Government in order to incorporate priorities from the Programme for Government, Securing Ireland’s Future, 2025. The Action Plan is included in the Strategy document and maps out in detail the first 3 years of implementation. Both are currently available on the Healthy Ireland website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/healthy-ireland/policy-information/national-sexual-health-strategy-2025-2035/

The Implementation Group has had two meetings so far; to date, the initial focus has been on setting up governance structures and partnerships, and on the Estimates process leading to Budget 2026.

Service improvements detailed in the Strategy have been ongoing while it was being finalised; an additional €1.35m was allocated to free home STI testing, HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and the free contraception scheme in Budget 2025. The PrEP funding included support for 7 WTE within the network of public STI clinics from July, 2025. These staff are now in position and supporting additional capacity for PrEP appointments within the public system.

In 2025, funding of €112,000 was approved by the Minister through the Women’s Health Fund to enhance access to healthcare services for the delivery of a specialist clinic for the treatment of female genital mutilation (FGM). This proposal seeks to address an identified need for FGM specialist care to marginalised women, support continuity of care, and support an initiative to reduce waiting times. This multidisciplinary service offers funded medical care and psychosexual and trauma counselling to women and girls who have experienced FGM, including referral for surgical assessment when required. This service is offered at no cost to the client(s).

The Health Research Board Evidence for Policy research grant call also resulted in the award of two research grants supporting the NSHS in late 2024; these are the PrEPtimise project, aiming to streamline delivery of the public PrEP Programme (awarded to TCD and St. James's Hospital; €375,000, 2 years) and the SHIFT project, which is researching possible behavioural drivers of the increases in STI rates (University of Galway; €374,000, 2 years). Both research programmes are making good progress.

In terms of Budget 2026, the following additional allocations can be confirmed at this point in time:

• €150,000 – Debunking the Myths - HSE Sexual Health Programme (SHP) and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), information programme supporting RSE and SPHE in schools
• €50,000 – SHP - HIV anti-stigma measures
• €50,000 – SHP and Ruhama - Game-Changer intervention addressing DSGBV awareness
• €100,000 – SHP/Primary Care Re-Imbursement Service (PCRS) - Additional support for PrEP medication
• €104,000 – HSE National Social Inclusion Office (NSIO), Period Dignity scheme
• €200,000 - Healthy Ireland Fund, existing level of service funding increase for the Department's period dignity grant scheme on foot of increased demand.

Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)
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204. To ask the Minister for Health the funding provided in Budget 2026, to address vaping rates among young people; to provide a detailed breakdown of the funding allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57565/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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In Budget 2025 the HSE was provided €300,000 for a youth vaping prevention campaign. This campaign will provide evidence-based messaging to young people, and information and support to parents and guardians concerned about vaping. That campaign is currently being developed by the HSE and it is intended that it will come into operation by the end of this year. In Budget 2026 an additional €200,000 was provided to the HSE to continue the youth vaping prevention campaign.

The immediate focus of policy and legislation regarding vaping is on reducing youth uptake. The Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Act 2023 introduced a suite of measures to tackle the rise in youth vaping including prohibiting the sale of nicotine inhaling products to persons under the age of 18, a new licensing system for the retail sale of nicotine inhaling products, a ban on self-service vending machines and a ban on the advertisement of nicotine inhaling products on public transport, in cinemas and near schools.

Legislation to restrict flavours, packaging and appearance, point-of-sale advertising and display and to ban single-use vapes is currently being drafted by the Office of the Attorney General. These Bills have been prioritised for publication in the Autumn Legislative Programme.

For young people, the HSE Quit 4 Youth is a specific 7-week HSE programme to get help to stop smoking or vaping. Junior Cycle SPHE resources were published in 2023 on the impact of nicotine, tobacco use, second-hand smoke, e-cigarettes and vaping and the HSE published specific guidance for schools on vaping in 2024.

Preventing smoking initiation and encouraging its cessation remain the primary public health focus in relation to tobacco and nicotine use. 17% of the Irish adult population (aged 15 and over) are current smokers. Smoking has a devastating impact on health. Half of all smokers will eventually die from a tobacco-related illness. Each year in Ireland, it claims over 4,500 lives, with more than 100 people dying and over 1,000 hospitalised every week due to smoking-related conditions.

Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)
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205. To ask the Minister for Health to provide a detailed breakdown of the €11 million in new funding for drugs and inclusion health services in Budget 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57566/25]

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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In Budget 2026, the Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drug Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor, TD, secured an additional €11 million in recurring funding for drugs and inclusion health services.

Highlights for Drugs services include €0.75m to improve access to Buprenorphine in OAT services, €0.2m to enhance strategic workforce planning for drug services, €0.33m to increase treatment capacity for under-served populations and €0.1m for other drug initiatives. With regard to inclusion health measures the highlights include, €1.53m for homeless health services, €0.5m for early intervention initiatives for children, and €0.61m for refugee and migrant health initiatives.

Further information on the budget announcement is available at www.gov.ie/en/department-of-health/press-releases/press-release-minister-for-public-health-wellbeing-and-the-national-drugs-strategy-announces-funding-for-drugs-and-inclusion-health-for-2026/

Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)
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206. To ask the Minister for Health if a specific funding allocation to address Children’s Health Ireland’s spinal surgery waiting lists has been provided for in Budget 2026; if so, to provide a detailed breakdown of this allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57567/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I am committed to continue to drive progress in paediatric spinal services.

The additional funding for current expenditure in Budget 2026 for the Health Vote is €1.5 billion, bringing the total current allocation to €25.8 billion. This includes funding to maintain existing levels of service and for new service developments, including funding for the recruitment of 3,300 additional whole time equivalent staff in 2026.

The specific measures to be prioritised for additional funding in 2026 will be set out in a Letter of Determination to the HSE, which will be issued within 21 days of Budget 2026. This letter will reflect my key priorities for 2026 of improved access, quality and safety for those who use our services and value for money for the public more broadly.

The HSE will then prepare its National Service Plan for 2026, to be submitted to the Department for approval within 21 days of receipt of the Letter of Determination, setting out how the HSE will operationalise those priorities.

Once the Letter of Determination and the National Service Plan have been finalised, a breakdown of all measures to be progressed in 2026 will be available.

Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)
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207. To ask the Minister for Health the funding allocated to implementation of the TB strategy in Budget 2026; to provide a detailed breakdown of the funding allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57568/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The additional funding for current expenditure in Budget 2026 for the Health Vote is €1.5 billion, bringing the total current allocation to €25.8 billion. This includes funding to maintain existing levels of service and for new service developments, including funding for the recruitment of 3,300 additional whole time equivalent staff in 2026.

The specific measures to be prioritised for additional funding in 2026 will be set out in a Letter of Determination to the HSE, which will be issued within 21 days of Budget 2026. This letter will reflect my key priorities for 2026 of improved access, quality and safety for those who use our services and value for money for the public more broadly.

The HSE will then prepare its National Service Plan for 2026, to be submitted to the Department for approval within 21 days of receipt of the Letter of Determination, setting out how the HSE will operationalise those priorities.

Once the Letter of Determination and the National Service Plan have been finalised, a breakdown of all measures to be progressed in 2026 will be available.