1315. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Health the annual estimate for funding the National Adult Palliative Care Strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37937/26]

1316. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Health to provide an update on the implementation of the National Adult Palliative Care Strategy to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37938/26]

1317. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Health to outline the planned activities for 2026 and 2027 under the National Adult Palliative Care policy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37939/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1315 to 1317, inclusive, together.

The National Adult Palliative Care Policy (2024) contains 25 recommendations with 104 corresponding activities to be delivered over seven years. The HSE is the lead for 91 activities while the remaining 13 activities are owned by the Department of Health.

In September 2025, the HSE published the Adult Palliative Care Policy Implementation Plan 2025–2026. It sets out 65 actions to ensure accessible, person-centred palliative care across Ireland. It focuses on delivering the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

The latest Q4 2025 Progress Update continues to be positive. 57 of the 65 HSE owned policy activities within the HSE National Adult Palliative Care Implementation Plan 2025-2026 are either on track or complete. Furthermore, 102 of the 115 deliverables were either on track or complete at end of Quarter 4 2025.

Key achievements so far include:

• Development and roll out of bespoke training programmes to enhance delivery of palliative care by all healthcare professionals working with patients with advanced serious illness.

• Completion of a ‘Discovery Phase’ for a clinical management system for specialist palliative care.

• Strengthened delivery of children’s palliative care by appointing three Regional Consultant Paediatricians with a special interest in Palliative Medicine along with an additional Consultant Paediatrician in Palliative Medicine in Children’s Health Ireland.

• Progressed the development of key specialist palliative care capital developments.

• Construction commenced for a new 16 bed Cavan Hospice.

• Construction commenced in Kerry Hospice to expand by an additional 5 beds in 2026.

• Extension of North West Hospice from 8 to 12 beds.

• Planning permission approved for a new 20 bed Midlands Hospice in Tullamore.

The department fully costed the policy over seven years with an estimated cost of €18.6 million in 2026. It is acknowledged that additional budgetary resources will be required each year to deliver on all the policy actions. These will be considered as part of the overall budgetary and estimates process for 2026.

The Department of Health Adult Palliative Care Policy Oversight Committee oversees the overall implementation of the policy. It reports to me on the progress towards full implementation of the policy.

The Programme for Government is committed to funding the policy. €10 million was allocated in 2025 to progress specific national policy initiatives. The total national palliative care budget last year was over €184 million – a 15% increase on 2024 and a 50% increase on 2020.