...Deputy John Connolly: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. To echo some of the sentiments of Deputy Lahart, there is a sense that men do not look after their own physical health and, possibly, mental health as well as they should. Opportunities like this to highlight the need to make sure people are aware of the supports that are available, and that it is important to look after their health, are appropriate. This is particularly the case because, as I understand it, November is a month where there is an organised campaign to promote awareness of men's health.

I will speak about one health issue that affects men disproportionately, as the data has shown us, and that is the issue of addiction and substance abuse. According to the Health Research Board, men are more likely to use illicit drugs, binge drink and engage in high-risk gambling behaviours than women. Alcohol remains the most common substance for which people seek help, and the majority of those presenting for treatment are men. The annual report of the Coolmine addiction centre in 2025 stated that in Dublin, cocaine accounted for 36% of all treatment presentations in the first half of 2025, with alcohol at 30%. This trend is particularly strong among young men aged 25 to 34, who are also more likely to engage in polysubstance abuse. The Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, has stated that problem gambling is far more prevalent among young men, especially those aged 25 to 34, and men are also more likely to gamble online and suffer financial harm. The Coolmine centre also provided the data that men are twice as likely as women to use drugs. There is, therefore, an issue that is clearly affecting men disproportionately.

I have a particular concern. The whole area of addiction treatment is another aspect of our healthcare provision where we rely a lot on agencies and bodies other than the HSE to provide primary care and secondary care. It is something we need to look at. In my constituency office recently, I met two people who were waiting to get into the addiction treatment centre at Cuan Mhuire, Coolarne. I can only imagine the mental trauma it would cause for somebody, when seeking help to try to deal with an addiction, to be told there is a waiting list. I contacted Cuan Mhuire and the staff there were very helpful.

Another issue that is prevalent among young men who suffer addiction is the necessity to rely on emergency accommodation, so they are possibly suffering disproportionately in terms of housing as well. We need to look at the whole area of addiction. We need to ask whether we can resource the services better and bring more of them into the sphere of the HSE.

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor): Another area that I am passionate about is reducing the gender gap in life expectancy and improving the health and well-being of men. This means driving programmes such as those I outlined and encouraging greater participation in screening and health checks, which are vital. I am mindful that men account for over 70% of the cases treated for problem drug use last year. As Deputies know, the topic of drugs is within my remit. Men have also accounted for the majority of drug poisoning deaths every year since 2012. While it is positive that men engage with drug services in large numbers, it is important that we focus on prevention and address the root causes of problematic drug use in men's lives at earlier stages. We must make health services more accessible to men, expand our models and encourage men to seek help. That is one area we are promoting. We need say, "Seek help; it is there." I am committed to supporting the implementation of the men's health action plan in the HSE. I will be exploring the opportunities, with Healthy Ireland, for further cross-government work in 2026. I will seek to place a real focus on prevention and education in our upcoming national drug strategy. I look forward to updating the House on this as the drafting progresses.

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