Press Release: Friday 9 October 2026
Minister Murnane O’Connor announces Budget 2027 investment in National Drugs Strategy, public health and community services
- Funding will support the implementation of the new National Drugs Strategy and expand drug and alcohol services.
- Major investment in obesity services, Sláintecare Healthy Communities and community-based wellbeing supports and inclusion health.
- New measures to help people quit smoking and vaping and improve sexual health services.
- Phased introduction of a national shingles vaccination programme for eligible cohorts.
The Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor TD, has today outlined the Budget 2027 allocation for her portfolio.
The investment is part of the overall €29.1 billion health allocation for 2027. It will help people stay healthy, provide earlier support and strengthen services in disadvantaged communities.
Minister Murnane O’Connor said:
“I am very pleased to announce this significant investment in prevention, public health and community services. Put simply, this Budget is about helping people to stay well, providing support earlier and making sure that services reach the people and communities that need them most.
“We know that prevention works. It improves people’s quality of life, helps to reduce avoidable illness and supports a healthier and more sustainable health service. Budget 2027 gives us the staff, services and community supports needed to turn that approach into practical action.”
The Budget provides €2.4 million and 22 additional posts for obesity services. This will strengthen existing provision and establish two specialist multidisciplinary services: one for children and one for adults. A further €285,000 will fund six lactation consultants, one in each Health Service Executive (HSE) Health Region.
Minister Murnane O’Connor continued:
“This package includes many measures, but they are connected by one clear objective: supporting healthier lives.
“For families, it means better access to specialist obesity and breastfeeding services. For older women in Mayo, Galway and Roscommon, it means a new multidisciplinary service focused on frailty and falls prevention. For communities experiencing disadvantage, it means stronger and more sustainable local services.
“These are practical investments that people will see in their own regions and communities.”
Budget 2027 provides €2.2 million for community and voluntary organisations delivering Sláintecare Healthy Communities services. The funding will support parenting programmes, social prescribing, healthy food and nutrition initiatives, and the expansion of the Physical Activity for Health project into four communities.
Other community-based investments include:
- €361,000 to support ten Section 39 social prescribing workers, helping people connect with suitable local groups, activities and non-clinical supports.
- €150,000 for Limerick Food Partnership, moving its work from research and mapping into practical delivery, including community Food Hubs and food, nutrition and kitchen-management training.
- €100,000 for Women’s Sheds of Ireland, strengthening its national organisation, governance and practical support for local sheds.
Budget 2027 provides an additional €12 million for drugs and inclusion health measures. This includes €8.5 million to begin implementing the National Drugs Strategy 2026–2030 and expand existing drugs initiatives with ringfenced funding for prevention initiatives aimed at children and young people.
The drugs allocation will widen access to treatment across HSE Health Regions, particularly in rural and underserved areas. €2.4 million will be provided to Drug and Alcohol Task Forces to strengthen responses to emerging drug trends. It will also fund gender-specific services for women with complex needs, and support for people affected by drug-related violence and intimidation.
Budget 2027 provides additional funding of €3.5 million to enhance access to health services for people experiencing homelessness and the Traveller community, in line with Government strategies on homelessness and Traveller inclusion. There is a further €1 million to prevent Traveller suicide.
Minister Murnane O’Connor said:
“Budget 2027 provides the resources to commence the implementation of the new National Drugs Strategy 2026–2030, which I will publish next week. This investment will help us put it into practice by strengthening services, prevention and early intervention, while supporting people in recovery.
“I am also improving access to healthcare services for people experiencing homelessness and for the Traveller community, who face severe health inequalities. This aligns with Government strategies on homelessness and Traveller inclusion.”
The Budget also provides €285,000 for six maternity smoking-cessation counsellors, €350,000 to support Tobacco Free Ireland 2035 and €332,500 for a vaping-cessation pilot. Building on the HSE QUIT model, the pilot will offer behavioural support through online access and health-service referrals.
The allocation will maintain and expand the national home STI testing service, strengthen public PrEP services in the South-West and support the forthcoming Irish National Survey of Sexual Health (INISH). It also provides a further €400,000 for community HIV organisations delivering prevention, outreach, peer support and practical assistance to people living with or at risk of HIV.
Budget 2027 will also begin the phased introduction of a national shingles vaccination programme for eligible cohorts.
Concluding, Minister Murnane O’Connor said:
“Good health is shaped by the services people can access, but also by their communities, environment and opportunities. That is why this Budget invests both in specialist healthcare and in the trusted local organisations working directly with people.
“This is a strong package for prevention, inclusion and public health. It will support healthier communities, improve access to practical services and provide a firm foundation for implementing our new national strategies in 2027.”