Press Release: Tuesday 26 August 2025
Minister Carroll MacNeill launches public consultation on Health Sector Adaptation Plan for Climate Change
Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, TD, has today launched a public consultation on the draft 2025 Health Sectoral Adaptation Plan. This consultation will help shape how Ireland’s health sector responds to the growing impacts of climate change.
It aims to gather views on the proposed approach, the risks identified, and the level of ambition in the plan, ensuring that climate adaptation measures are aligned with public health priorities and that the sector is equipped to build resilience against future climate-related challenges.
Minister Carroll MacNeill said:
“Tackling the climate crisis – both its historic causes and future impacts – is one of the greatest challenges facing Ireland and the world.
“The climate crisis is a health crisis, and we are already seeing the effects: more extreme weather, heatwaves, wildfires, and the spread of zoonotic diseases – all of which strain our health services.
“The 2025 Health Sectoral Adaptation Plan will embed climate considerations across health policies and ensure health is central to wider climate action. This kind of cross-sectoral collaboration is essential to building resilience.
“I encourage everyone to take part in the consultation and help shape our collective response.”
The draft 2025 Sectoral Adaptation Plan sets out a broad range of risks faced by the health sector and contains recommendations and actions to address these. It is informed by the National Climate Change Risk Assessment, which was published in June 2025, and will align with the range of Sectoral Adaptation Plans currently under development.
This consultation seeks feedback on the approach taken in the development of the Plan, the range of risks identified, and the overall ambition for health sector climate action.
The consultation will be open for four weeks – the closing date is Tuesday 23 September 2025.