Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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699. To ask the Minister for Health if she plans to provide specific funding for the delivery of the Collaborative Tuberculosis Strategy for Ireland: 2024–2030 to the HSE as the HSE’s current mandate in the matter is for the strategy to be ‘delivered within existing resources’ which is insufficient to the task. [68173/25]

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 HSE is in the process of preparing its National Service Plan for 2026, setting out how the HSE will operationalise the Department’s priorities funded in Budget 2026, including the key priorities of improved access, quality and safety for those who use our services and value for money for the public more broadly.

The National Service Plan will include HSE plans, targets and timelines for specific measures to be progressed in 2026. Further information on the specific measures to be progressed in 2026, along with the associated funding and staffing, will be available when the National Service Plan has been completed and approved.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant public health concern both globally and in Ireland. While Ireland is a low-incidence country, recent figures show a rise in cases. My Department and the HSE continue to monitor the situation closely. The HSE works with partners and communities to raise awareness, especially among people at higher risk.

In 2024, the HSE published Striving to End Tuberculosis: A Strategy for Ireland 2024–2030. This five-year plan is Ireland’s first national TB strategy. It is aligned with WHO targets of reducing incidence by 80% and deaths by 90% by 2030. A detailed implementation plan, developed by the National TB Advisory Committee is guiding delivery.

The HSE is progressing implementation through existing services and resources. Work is underway to introduce a selective BCG vaccination programme next year. An updated TB Resources Report will align staffing and funding with current needs. New national TB guidelines are also being developed, with completion expected by end-2025.

People with TB are benefiting from shorter, more tolerable treatments. Multidisciplinary teams are expanding access to care and support. Enhanced surveillance, including genome sequencing, improves outbreak response and data quality. These actions demonstrate the progress made in delivering the national TB strategy.