Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy announces 2026 allocation of €5.2 million under the Healthy Ireland Fund Round 4

The Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor TD has announced €5.2 million in funding under the Healthy Ireland Fund (HIF) Round 4 for 2026. This funding includes €75,000 which is allocated to each of the 31 local authorities to support outcome-based initiatives.

The HIF is the national government initiative established to support the implementation of the Healthy Ireland Framework, which aims to improve the overall health and wellbeing of people living in Ireland.

In line with the vision of Healthy Ireland, the HIF, administered by Pobal, supports local and national projects aimed at improving people’s health and wellbeing. This funding ensures that existing programmes can continue through to 31 December 2026, allowing local authorities to deliver on key health outcomes while supporting the transition to the next phase of the Healthy Ireland Framework.

The HIF Round 4 focuses on improving health equity, prevention and community wellbeing through locally tailored interventions. Key thematic areas of the Fund include:

• Keeping Active
• Staying Connected
• Switching Off and Being Creative
• Eating Well
• Minding your Mood
• Minding your Body

Minister Murnane O’Connor said:

Chief Executive of Pobal Anna Shakespeare said:

ENDS

Notes to editor

Healthy Ireland aims to foster a culture of wellness, reducing health inequalities and supporting people at all life stages to live healthier lives through whole of government and whole of society actions.

It recognises the requirement for a ‘whole of Government’ approach to addressing the social determinants and predictors of health and wellbeing, many of which fall outside the health sector, e.g. housing, transportation, education, workplaces and environment along with an individual’s socio-economic status.

The Healthy Ireland Outcomes Framework is our structured, data-driven approach to monitor, measure and report on the nation’s health and wellbeing targets.

During 2026 Local Authorities will continue to work on their selected outcomes from the Healthy Ireland Framework. The outcomes and target groups most prioritised are listed below:

Outcomes:

• Increase in individual’s level of positive mental health as per Energy and Vitality Index
• Increase in % of persons assessing health to be very good/good as per EU-SILC questionnaire
• Decrease in no. of people showing negative mental health as per Mental Health Index-5 over past 4 weeks’
• Decrease in unconditional probability of dying (aged 30-70) from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory disease

Target Groups:

• The general population.
• Adolescents and young people (aged 15 – 24 years).
• Older people.
• People living in disadvantaged communities.
• People with disabilities.
• Children (aged up to 14 years) Below are some examples of projects that have been successfully implemented during 2025.

Wicklow County Council

Project: Wicklow Travellers’ Group

Outcome: Increase levels of positive mental health and wellbeing

Overview: The Healthy Ireland Fund enabled Wicklow Travellers’ Group to expand their youth services, opening new services in Kilcoole and Arklow. It also supported staff to work closely with schools, helping young people stay engaged in their education, increase awareness of Traveller culture, and foster more inclusive and supportive school settings. One of the main aims of this project was to support access to healthy activities through the provision of sports and outdoor activities for all Traveller children living in County Wicklow. The project included a series of Summer Project trips for Traveller children and young people during July 2025. Project activities created opportunities for fun, learning and healthy lifestyles while also promotion inclusion and community participation.

Impact:

The impacts of this project were wide ranging, from strengthening partnerships and collaborations with several multi-disciplinary services, to empowering youth groups to become more youth-led, supporting young people to plan, lead, and evaluate activities while building leadership and decision-making skills. It increased Traveller representation in youth mental health structures, supported by staff completing bereavement training, Mental Health First Aid, and Decider Skill; and enabled three Traveller children to attend the Comhairle na nÓg.

330 participants took part in the project ranging in ages from pre-school children to adults 50+.

Kildare County Council

Project Name: Walking Wednesdays

Outcome: Increase in the percentage of adults meeting physical activity guidelines

Overview:

Walking Wednesdays was a seven-week programme for the residents at Cuan Mhuire addiction centre, provided by Kildare Sports Partnership (KSP) in collaboration with Healthy Ireland. It aimed to engage participants in physical activity, foster social inclusion, and improve their overall wellbeing whilst in recovery. Following initial consultation with Kildare Sports Partnership to identify vulnerable groups, a focus group was held with participants at Cuan Mhuire to identify suitable physical activities. The programme consisted of a weekly 2–3-hour session with a specific activity for each week, culminating in the final event in September which is recognised as active recovery month. Walking was the main activity with additional activity such as local history, local wildlife, mindfulness, self-reflection, a boat tour, dragon boating and guest speakers.

Impact:

The impact of ‘Walking Wednesdays’ was exceptionally positive. Participants reported increased social wellbeing and a sense of community and togetherness. There were improved life skills – increased confidence on the water, knowledge of local history/ wildlife, and self-reflection for personal growth. The activity increased physical health activity levels, with participants going on weekly walks, and engaging in walking more frequently outside of the project.