Ireland

National AMR research program
National action plans
MB representatives

Ireland is represented in JPIAMR by the Health Research Board, HRB.

Ireland has a good track record in addressing antimicrobial resistance with prevention and control of health care associated infections (HCAIs) and AMR being a significant long standing patient safety and public health priority for the Irish Department of Health.

The Health Research Board (HRB) is the lead agency in Ireland responsible for supporting and funding health research, information and evidence. The vision is Healthy people through excellent research and applied knowledge.

National AMR research program and activities

AMR Research program

A National Interdepartmental AMR Consultative Committee was set up in 2014 between the Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The objective was to raise public and professional awareness of the threat of AMR to both public and animal health, addressing the repercussions for human health, agriculture, food industry and environment.

Another initiative which the Health Services Executive has established in Irish acute public hospitals is good systems for recording and benchmarking antimicrobial prescribing, and for recording and comparing antimicrobial resistance rates for serious infections with other European countries. Ireland also has an established national system for reporting on antibiotic consumption in the community.

Ireland has contributed to reporting to the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System since 1999 and through its membership of the World Health Organisation, is part of the international effort aimed at tackling the global public health treat of AMR.

National AMR research calls

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding news:

  • Under the Aquatic Pollutants Joint Transnational Call 2020 the EPA has provided funding for two research projects with IE research partners. One of these projects relates to AMR – ‘A smart forewarning system for contaminants of emerging concern and pathogens (FOREWARN)’.
  • Within the ERA-NET Cofund AquaticPollutants, EPA Ireland, alongside a number of other participating countries, will be participating in the AquaticPollutants Thematic Annual Programming (TAP) Action, which is a joint venture supporting a network of national projects. The general theme has been defined as ‘Measuring of inputs and taking actions to reduce CECs, pathogens and antimicrobial resistant bacteria in the aquatic ecosystems (inland and marine)’. The EPA has nominated the EPA-funded project ‘Public health Impact of Exposure to antibiotic Resistance in recreational waters (PIER)’ (Project Coordinator: Dearbhaile Morris, NUIG) to participate in this international network of researchers, as the Irish representative.

Activities on AMR actions at national level

  • Irelands AMR One Health Thematic Network (convened by Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine and bringing together researchers, funders, health services, policy makers and other actors) is conducting an AMR One Health Research Gap Analysis in 2023 to complete a comprehensive review of previous and ongoing research in the area of AMR in Ireland, identify key AMR research knowledge gaps within and across all One Health sectors in Ireland and prioritise the research needs identified.
  • On Fri 17th Nov 2023 Government of Ireland are hosting a One Health Event- From Policy to Practice in Ireland. This event marks world antimicrobial resistance awareness week and targets One Health policymakers in Ireland.
  • The 18th meeting of the Animal Health Implementation Committee for iNAP2, Ireland’s Second One Health National Action Plan on AMR, took place in June 2023. Progress on iNAP2 projects in the animal health and environment sectors was highlighted and discussed among One Health stakeholders.

National action plans

Management Board representative

  • Catherine Gill, Health Research Board