"I have always been very supportive of measures to reduce smoking rates and look forward to working with my colleagues in the Department of Health on plans to help more people to quit smoking, discourage the initiation of smoking and improve overall public health.

"I will also prioritise policy on risk factors and issues such as obesity, tobacco and alcohol, physical activity, mental wellbeing and sexual health and period dignity by empowering people and communities to engage in improving health and wellbeing and shift the emphasis to prevention.

"As Minister of State, I will have responsibility for specific powers under the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act 1998. These include the authority to amend specific Schedules of the Act, appoint members of the Food Safety Consultative Council and assign additional functions to the Authority. Additionally, I will be responsible for appointing the Authority’s Scientific Committee and introducing regulations related to food sampling and analysis to ensure the highest standards of food safety."

Kieran O’Donnell is Minister with special responsibility for Older People. The Programme for Government commits to design a statutory homecare scheme, with the first element being related to the licencing and registration of homecare providers. Minister O’Donnell will be progressing The Health (Amendment) (Licencing of Professional Home Support Providers) Bill 2024.

Furthermore, Minister O’Donnell will be working on advancing Nursing home and Dementia services, and he looks forward to receiving the reports from the Commission on Care for Older People and progressing a National Action Plan as committed to in the Programme for Government.

Minister O’Donnell said:

"The continued focus must be to promote care in the community so that people can continue to live with confidence, security and dignity in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. Where living at home is no longer the most appropriate choice for the older person, the Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS) aims to ensure that long-term nursing home care is accessible and affordable."