Ireland’s Department of Health has published its Statement of Strategy 2025–2028, outlining how the health system aims to respond to growing demographic pressures, shifting public-health demands and a rapidly changing global environment. The new roadmap sets the tone for the next three years, with officials describing it as a blueprint for delivering “the right care in the right place at the right time.”
The strategy, released on 10 December 2025, follows extensive consultation with health agencies, other Government departments and internal teams. It positions the Department to tackle widening health inequalities, an ageing population, and the long-term fallout of recent international crises that continue to influence Ireland’s healthcare needs.
Five Priorities to Reshape Ireland’s Health System
At the heart of the plan are five strategic priorities designed to guide the Department’s work through 2028:
1. Promoting and Protecting Public Health
The strategy places a renewed focus on prevention—strengthening vaccination programmes, reducing chronic disease, and improving population wellbeing as frontline health services face rising demand.
2. Bringing Care Closer to Home
In line with the Sláintecare vision, the Department aims to further shift services into community settings, reducing pressure on hospitals and enabling earlier intervention for patients.
3. Fairer, Faster Access to Healthcare
Addressing long waiting times remains a central commitment. The strategy signals a drive to expand capacity, modernise pathways and improve patient flow to ensure timely treatment across the system.
4. Strengthening Governance and Partnerships
With multiple agencies and service providers operating across Ireland’s health landscape, the plan calls for stronger coordination, clearer accountability and deeper collaboration between national bodies and local providers.
5. Preparing for Future Challenges and Opportunities
The Department emphasises readiness for emerging threats—from public-health emergencies to technological disruption—while seeking to harness innovation to improve care delivery.
Aiming for a ‘Healthier Ireland’
While the strategy focuses on system reform, its ambition is rooted in a broader vision: a healthier, more equitable Ireland. The document frames the next three years as a period of accelerated change, with officials signalling that rising expectations and demographic pressures will require new levels of agility and resilience across the health sector.
The Statement of Strategy now serves as the Department’s guiding framework as Ireland navigates the evolving challenges—and opportunities—facing its health system.
