Ireland’s third One Health National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2026-2030, known as iNAP3, was jointly published by the Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in November 2025. It is the successor plan to Ireland’s second National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2021-2025, known as iNAP2.
Both plans adopt a One Health approach and align to the Strategic Objectives as outlined in the WHO Global Action Plan (2015) and the WHO updated Global Action Plan and the requirements of the European Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) (2017).
It has been acknowledged globally that a One Health approach is the most effective way to address the global AMR challenge. This is promoted by both the WHO and the European Commission.
Strategic Objective 5 of iNAP3 is to promote research and sustainable investment in new medicines, diagnostic tools, vaccines and other interventions. There are 21 actions across the human health, animal health and environment sectors under this objective. There is also two overarching One Health Action related to research, OH10: Promote research addressing AMR using an Ongoing One Health approach through research partners to fill research gaps and OH-11 ,Support the European joint action on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Infections ( EU-JARAI2) project.iNAP3 and these actions are available to view online at [www.gov.ie/amr].
In line with iNAP3, the Department of Health will continue to work with partners and stakeholders to encourage and support cross-discipline research on AMR.
At a European level, following over two years of intense negotiations, the EU Pharmaceutical Package is being currently being finalised. Ireland welcomes the finalisation of this important file, as it gives certainty and stability to the regulatory landscape for pharmaceutical manufacturing across Europe. This is the first revision of the legislation in 20 years.
One of the elements of the file is in relation to combatting antimicrobial resistance. The pharma package introduces a new transferrable exclusivity voucher incentivising pharmaceutical companies to help combat antimicrobial resistance by developing priority antibiotics. This voucher will grant companies one additional year of market protection for a pharmaceutical product of their choice.
