Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 June 2025
49. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the expected timeline for developing a national life sciences strategy to ensure competitiveness in this sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33125/25]
View answerThe Life-Sciences sector - which includes pharma, biopharma and medtech – remains a cornerstone of Ireland’s industrial success, driving significant exports, and attracting foreign and indigenous investments in R&D, capital expenditure and employment. It currently accounts for over 100,000 jobs and over €130billion in exports.
Over recent decades Ireland has developed a cohesive and integrated Life-Sciences ecosystem consisting of highly innovative indigenous companies, large well-established FDI multinationals, a continually developing world-class research base and a strong industry-focused clinical community.
Continued support for the Life-Sciences sector is critical to fostering innovation, sustaining economic growth, enhancing EU and global competitiveness in healthcare, and improving public health outcomes. Recognising this, the Programme for Government – Securing Ireland’s Future 2025 — sets out our commitment to publish a National Life Sciences Strategy that will guide the sector’s continued success and long-term impact.
To ensure that this Strategy is evidence-based, ambitious and responsive to emerging opportunities, it will be developed through extensive engagement with key stakeholders across the Life-Sciences ecosystem. It will also take into account developments at EU level, including relevant EU legislation that is currently being proposed as well as the new EU Life-Sciences Strategy which is expected to be published shortly.
The development of this Strategy is a critical undertaking - one that warrants careful planning and sufficient time to ensure its effectiveness and relevance. The Strategy must deliver a well-informed and forward-looking set of actions that not only consolidates Ireland’s position as a global leader in the sector, but also creates new pathways for innovation, drives sustainable economic growth, strengthens the workforce, and improves health outcomes for all. In light of this, my Department is currently considering the timeline for the development of this Strategy having identified and committed to the dedicated resources required.
