I am delighted to announce €23.5m in total investment for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy in Budget 2023.

    Addressing the challenge of obesity is a priority for this Government and a priority action under Healthy Ireland, our national framework for improving the health and wellbeing of our nation, as evidenced by the publication of the National Obesity Policy and Action Plan in 2016. Additional funding has been secured to fund increased clinical obesity services in the 2023 budget.

    To support sexual health, €600,000 is being allocated to expand and further support the online testing service for sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, which is being launched nationally next week, on October 4th, and to support the National Condom Distribution Service.

    Supports for sexual health also include additional funding for contraception, for both men and for women. The free contraception scheme for 17-25 year-old women, as mentioned by Minister Mc Grath yesterday, is funded to expand the age range to those aged 16-30 during 2023.

    Funding for sexual health also includes supports for the National Condom Distribution Service, which, in line with increased availability of free prescription contraception for women, will be made more widely available through GPs surgeries and family planning clinics.

    Budget 2023 provides additional supports of €750,000 for social prescribing, for which supports now total €950,000.

    Social prescribing is an effective treatment for those coping with social isolation and other mental health challenges; Budget 2023 supports will allow expansion of social prescribing to areas where previously, no service was available, and will support existing services better.

    In total in Budget 2023 I secured €10.5 million in additional recurring funding for the national drugs strategy and inclusion health.

    Of this, €7m is for new developments, including €4m for the expansion of community and residential addiction services under the National Drugs Strategy and €3m to improve access to healthcare services for socially excluded groups.

    In addition, I have provided €3.5m for community & voluntary providers to maintain the existing level of drug & alcohol and inclusion health services. This is the first allocation to meet the costs of providing existing levels of services in recent years.

    The additional funding for the national drugs strategy reflects the 6 strategic priorities identified for the remaining four years of the Strategy, 2022-2025.

    It will strengthen the health-led approach to drug and alcohol use, through reducing the harms for individuals, families and communities and promoting rehabilitation and recovery.

    Within the €4m envelope, I have allocated €900,000 to ensure the sustainability and increase the capacity of tier 4 residential services. This funding will allow for commissioning of up to 30 new treatment episodes.

    Furthermore, I am providing €850,000 to expand integrated care pathways for high-risk drug and alcohol users, including gender specific services.

    This funding will establish new residential addiction treatment services for women in Meath and Wicklow and provide an integrated community alcohol service in Mayo.

    I am allocating an additional €1m to strengthen the monitoring of emerging drug trends and to expand community-based services as part of the community services enhancement fund, which I established in 2022 with an initial investment of €2m.

    I have provided €750,000 to mitigate the impact of drugs and alcohol on children, families, and communities. This initiative will support the provision of children and family services, while strengthening interagency structures.

    Turning to inclusion health, I have allocated €1m to address the physical and social health needs of Travellers under the soon to be published Traveller health action plan.

My colleague, Minister Butler has provided a further €300,000 to improve mental health services for Travellers.

    The funding delivers on commitments in the Programme for Government and the recommendations of the recent Oireachtas report on issues affecting Travellers. It will improve the treatment of chronic health conditions amongst Travellers, including poor mental health and suicidal ideation.

    Finally, I have also provided funding of €1.3m to improve access to healthcare services for people who are long-term homeless, as part of the Housing First programme, and €700,000 to enable refugees to access culturally appropriate healthcare services.

    This investment offers an opportunity to work with communities across the country on new and existing initiatives to improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Ireland.

Thank you.