3489. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Health if cardiovascular disease prevention and early detection have been considered by the North-South Ministerial Council in the health sector; if any all-island approach to population cardiovascular risk assessment is under consideration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61547/26]

Enhancing North-South cooperation is a priority for the Irish Government and I am committed to working with partners in Northern Ireland to improve cooperation in health and social care where there are clear benefits for both jurisdictions and for patients across the island.

There is a long history of cooperation between the Department of Health Ireland and the Department of Health Northern Ireland, with Senior Officials meeting regularly and working together to improve health and social care provision for the benefit of patients across the island.

In January of this year, the North South Ministerial Council agreed a revised programme, focusing on the themes of (1) Acute Services, (2) Health Inequalities and Population Health, and (3) The Future of Healthcare. While this programme is intended to set the agenda for the upcoming period, it is not a restrictive programme and other areas of cooperation can be considered for progression as they arise, with officials instructed to continue to engage to identify areas of care where all-island cooperation can deliver improved services and outcomes.

In addition, there are also a number of agreements in place covering specific specialist Cross Border initiatives that ensure that patients can receive a range of medical procedures/services as close to home as possible.

In 2016, the North-West Cardiology Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) service agreement was signed. It facilitates the provision of Primary PCI to Donegal patients at Altnagelvin Hospital, particularly to patients diagnosed with a ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction condition (i.e. a heart attack). A Consultant Cardiologist travels from Letterkenny Hospital to work a 1:7 rota at Altnagelvin Hospital. Overall, since the inception of this agreement, an estimated 50+ cases per year are being transferred for urgent cardiac care.

The All-Island Congenital Heart Disease (AICHD) Network is a collaborative healthcare initiative between Ireland (IE) and Northern Ireland (NI). The AICHD Network aims to provide comprehensive and high-quality care for children with congenital heart disease across the island of Ireland. The Network was established in 2015 jointly by the Departments of Health (DOH) in both jurisdictions.

The Network’s primary objective is to ensure that all children born with congenital heart disease on the island of Ireland have access to specialist cardiology services as close to their home as possible. The Network brings together clinicians, managers, patient/family representatives and commissioners from both jurisdictions who work together to support new-borns, infants and children with a congenital heart condition together with their families/carers. In addition, collaborative arrangements have been established with the Coombe Hospital for antenatal diagnosis and delivery of NI newborns requiring emergency cardiac surgery at Children’s Health Ireland (CHI).

Since its inception, the AICHD Network has been driving the implementation of evidence based, safe and effective cardiac care for children and young people across the island of Ireland. Today, the AICHD Network has a membership of over 200 healthcare professionals in 7 healthcare organisations across the Island, 2 patient representative agencies, 3 academic institutions, commissioners and a network team working across both jurisdictions. The AICHD Network represents a significant innovation and enhancement in the care of children with congenital heart disease on the island of Ireland.