evidence: Irish people are living longer, healthier lives, though access to healthcare remains an issue: Department of Health publishes Health in Ireland - Key Trends 2019 [...] Life expectancy in Ireland has increased by almost two and a half years since 2007, with male life expectancy consistently higher than the EU average throughout the last decade, and female life expectancy surpassing the EU average in 2017. [...] At 80.4 years, life expectancy for women in Ireland is 3.6 years longer than for men in 2017; however, this gap has narrowed from 5.3 in 1997 and is now at its lowest since the 1950s (Table 1.6).