On 17 June 2026, Senator Maria Byrne, Fine Gael Spokesperson on Health and Leas-Chathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann, hosted the event “EU Safe Hearts Plan: Driving the Implementation of the EU Safe Hearts Plan through the Irish Presidency of the EU Council” in Leinster House, Dublin.
Organised with the support of the EU Structural Heart Disease (SHD) Coalition, the event brought together Members of the Oireachtas, healthcare professionals, patient advocates and cardiovascular health experts to discuss Ireland’s opportunity to lead the implementation of the EU Safe Hearts Plan during its forthcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
A key focus of the discussion was the implementation of the EU Safe Hearts Plan, the first-ever EU-level strategy dedicated to cardiovascular health. Speakers highlighted the Plan’s ambitions to reduce premature cardiovascular mortality by 25% by 2035 should be achieved through action on routine screening, early detection, innovative treatment and integrated patient pathways.
The event also showcased the importance of opportunistic auscultation through an on-site stethoscope screening initiative for Members of the Oireachtas and parliamentary staff. Twenty-eight Oireachtas members participated in the screening programme, while a further thirteen attended the policy discussion. In total, 41 Members of the Oireachtas engaged with the initiative, representing almost one in five parliamentarians.
You can access the full report here.