Healthy Ireland Local Government

30/10/2026

Local Government As A Bridge For Upstream Prevention & Population Health: Community pharmacies supporting early detection and prevention

Delivered at the 2026 WHO European Healthy Cities Conference held in Viana do Castelo, Portugal, the Healthy Meath team presented their poster exploring local government as a bridge for upstream prevention & population health and how community pharmacies can support early detection and prevention.

Working in collaboration with local pharmacies across County Meath, the Irish Pharmacy Union and Roche Diagnostics, taking a social determinants of health lens, with a focus o prevention and cross-sector collaboration, saw the development and implementation of a programme of free health checks offered across the community to those aged 40-65.

The programme demonstrates how local government-led partnerships can support accessible, community-based prevention initiatives and contribute to earlier intervention, improved health awareness and stronger local approaches to population health.

Access and download the Local Government as a Bridge for Upstream Prevention & Population Health poster 🔗 https://hilocalgov.pulse.ly/liegmiinrq

Meath County Council

27/10/2026

Supporting the capability and confidence of Healthy Ireland staff across local authorities remained a key priority throughout 2025/26, with a series of national planning, induction and peer-learning events, including;

👉 A Winter annual review and planning session in Wexford in December 2025 brought together staff to reflect on programme achievements, identify priorities for the Community Wellbeing Work Programme 2026–2030 and shape future induction requirements.

👉 This was followed in March 2026 by a national induction and planning event in Tralee, which focused on HILG roles within local government, strategic work programme drivers and opportunities to strengthen community wellbeing outcomes.

👉 In May 2026, colleagues gathered in Dundalk for a dedicated governance and capability-building programme, with expert contributions from Sean O’Riordáin, Jamie Moore and Joan O'Donnell on local governance, leadership and relational working

These sessions and planning events are a poignant opportunity to provide structured onboarding, strengthen collaboration and support consistent programme delivery across the network.

Download the Healthy Ireland Local Government Newsletter for more 🔗 https://hilocalgov.pulse.ly/e4fizdnx1c

23/10/2026

Launched by Minister Mary Butler TD at the 2025 Healthy Ireland Local Government Conference, the Wellbeing Data Portal is a mark of significant investment in evidence-informed decision-making across Local Government.

The portal is an asset that collates local data sets, community profiles, mapping and analytical tools to help local authorities better understand wider health and wellbeing determinants and devise a strategy for tackling key local priorities.

By bringing together trusted national datasets and community-level insights, it gives decision-makers the tools they need to make informed, impactful choices.

Key features include:

➡️ Accessibility to Opportunities and Services (ATOS): Maps how easily communities can reach essential services like healthcare, education, and recreation, helping target areas at risk of exclusion.

➡️ Place Standard Surveys Integration: Incorporates community feedback on safety, environment, and social cohesion to ensure local voices are central to planning.

➡️ Analytical Tools: Filter, compare, and interpret data to turn insights into action, whether planning new services, evaluating programmes, or reporting outcomes.

Together, these tools provide a holistic view of community wellbeing, combining statistics with lived experience, the foundation for evidence-led Healthy Ireland initiatives.

The next phase of development will take a focus on how this information can be translated into practical intelligence for local government and its partners.

More information on the Wellbeing Data Portal, 2025 Conference, and Healthy Ireland Local Government activity in Issue 1 of our newsletter, available now 🔗 https://hilocalgov.pulse.ly/bbhicrkjbj

20/10/2026

Tackling Inequalities Through Place-Based Action

Enniscorthy Town as a Municipal Living Lab: A Healthy Cities approach to equity, participation and municipal wellbeing in County Wexford, Ireland.

Delivered at the 2026 WHO Annual Business Meeting held in Viana do Castelo, Portugal, Wexford County Council presented their poster on Place-Based Action to Tackle Inequalities.

This project, based in the small town of Enniscorthy (population of approx. 10,000), demonstrates how a place-based Healthy Cities approach can address inequalities embedded within everyday environments.

Using participatory workshops and the Place Standard methodology, Wexford County Council could explore residents’ experience of wider neighbourhood conditions, while also establishing a wellbeing coalition to coordinate action and sustain long-term governance.

Access and download the Wexford County Council WHO Conference poster 🔗 https://hilocalgov.pulse.ly/7nxyquibsf

Wexford County Council

14/10/2026

The first Healthy Ireland Local Government Newsletter is now available to download.

We are delighted to announce the launch of the inaugural Autumn/Winter edition of the Healthy Ireland Local Government (HILG) Newsletter, the first of two editions to be published each year.

This edition is an opportunity to reflect on the 2025/26 year: the progress made across our programmes, the achievements celebrated across the network, and the developments that continue to strengthen the role of local government in improving health and wellbeing in communities across Ireland.

It also marks a milestone moment, with a reflection from our outgoing National Lead, Vinne O’Shea, on four years of progress, including:

✔️ The Healthy Cities & Counties Programme and Sláintecare Healthy Communities Programme embedded within local government, with strong governance, national frameworks and a permanent Administrative Officer workforce providing long-term leadership and capacity
✔️ Ireland's strengthened position within the WHO European Healthy Cities Network, including our largest-ever Irish delegation at the 2026 WHO Annual Business Meeting and the continued accreditation of Irish Healthy Cities and Counties
✔️ Locally led, place-based approaches that reduce health inequalities, build community capacity and respond to local priorities

In this issue, you can explore and read more on:

→ Highlights of Healthy Ireland Local Government Activity 2025/26
→ Healthy Cities & Counties Programme in Focus
→ WHO European Healthy Cities Network
→ Sláintecare Healthy Communities Programme within Local Government

Thank you to every Healthy City & County Coordinator, Local Development Officer, local authority colleague and partner organisation for your unwavering commitment to advancing community wellbeing. Your dedication has laid strong foundations for the future.

📥 Download the newsletter 🔗 https://hilocalgov.pulse.ly/3ondayvqmq

12/10/2026

05/10/2026

02/10/2026

The publication of the National Process Evaluation of the Sláintecare Healthy Communities Programme provides an important opportunity to reflect on what has been learned so far and, importantly, an evidence-based roadmap for the future.

We welcome the findings of the report, and in particular its recognition of the importance of approaches that are responsive to local context, build lasting community capacity and strengthen cross-sector collaboration.

For Healthy Ireland Local Government, this is a report that provides a strong platform to continue to build on this approach, supporting communities to shape the work taking place locally and to address the wider determinants of health in ways that reflect the needs and strengths of each community.

We look forward to incorporating the recommendations across the six domains into our work practices and relationships with our colleagues in the wider stakeholder group as we continue to make a meaningful and enduring contribution to the reduction of health inequalities across the 31 local authority areas.

Access and download the full report 🔗 https://hilocalgov.pulse.ly/fsbgtp53tw

18/09/2026

The WHO European Healthy Cities Conference in Viana do Castelo, Portugal, marked the 40th anniversary of the Ottawa Charter and the start of Phase VIII (2026–2030) of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network.

During Business Meeting 1, which focused on Phase VII accreditation and provisional accreditation, Cork City Council, Carlow County Council and Waterford City and County Council were formally granted Phase VIII accreditation to the WHO European Healthy Cities Network.

Galway City Council also received provisional accreditation, as it enters the final stage of the process towards full Phase VIII accreditation.

The achievement represents a significant commitment by these local authorities to embedding health and wellbeing, equity and sustainability into local policy, planning and decision-making.

Together, these achievements demonstrate the strength of Ireland’s participation in the WHO European Healthy Cities Network and the important role of local authorities in advancing health and wellbeing at a local level.

16/09/2026

Roscommon Community Resilience Toolkit: Embedding Recovery-Oriented Preparedness within Healthy Cities Action

Delivered at the 2026 WHO European Healthy Cities Conference held in Viana do Castelo, Portugal, Aisling Dunne, Healthy County Coordinator and Paul Clabby, Public Participation Network Coordinator, presented their poster on behalf of Roscommon County Council .

The Roscommon Community Resilience Toolkit was developed through a community-led, intersectoral approach that brought together local authority, community groups and partner organisations and demonstrated how a recovery-oriented approach can complement existing emergency management structures by bringing preparedness, community participation, coordination and wellbeing into the same conversation.

The full poster provides an overview of the development process and the key learning emerging from the initiative, including the principles underpinning the Community Resilience Toolkit.

Access and download the Roscommon Community Resilience Toolkit poster 🔗 https://hilocalgov.pulse.ly/xk5ziqadad