Life expectancy in Ireland is now 81.5 years, compared to 76.6 years in 2000, and is above the EU average, according to the European Commission (EC).

It recently published a health profile for each member state. Ireland's profile reveals that while women are still living longer than men here, this gap has narrowed in the last 15 years.

The increase in life expectancy is mainly due to a ‘steady reduction of premature deaths from cardiovascular diseases'. However heart disease is still the leading the cause of death in Ireland, followed by lung cancer and dementia.

Meanwhile, the profile shows that in 2015, 19% of adults in Ireland smoked, down from 24% in 2008. This is slightly below the EU average. However 32% of adults reported having had at least six alcoholic drinks in one session each month in 2014. This is considered binge drinking and it well above the EU average.

Some 18% of adults considered themselves obese in 2014, however when actual measures of height and weight were taken, this figure rose to 23%, which is above the EU average.

When it comes to our health service, the profile noted that spending on health is around 40% higher here compared to the EU average.

In 2015, Ireland spent €3,939 per head on healthcare compared to an EU average of €2,797. However, the profile also noted that around 70% of health spending is publicly funded, which is well below the EU average.

It said that out-of-pocket payments and private health insurance also cover important parts of health spending, and in fact, private insurance plays a much bigger role here than in other EU countries.

The profile also noted that while life-threatening conditions are effectively treated, high hospital admissions for chronic conditions suggest problems with coordination and continuity.

"Ireland struggled to maintain levels of health services throughout the financial crisis. Budget cuts and shortcomings in fiscal governance caused overruns, which have continued to grow in recent years. Moving care to its appropriate setting could assist in improving efficiency," the profile stated.

Meanwhile, it also noted that Ireland has a relatively low number of doctors and a high number of nurses compared to other EU countries, while the number of hospital beds in Irish hospitals is around 50% lower than the EU average.

Ireland is the only western European country that does not offer universal coverage of primary (GP) care and while the achievement of universal health coverage is a stated priority of the current Government, at the moment, less than half of the population have public coverage for primary care.

The profile also highlights the fact that hospitals here operate ‘at near capacity limitations'.

"While some of the pressure could be eased by strengthening primary care and promoting better care integration for the growing number of people living with chronic conditions, the issue remains that Ireland may have too few hospital beds and other equipment to provide timely and safe care for its population," it stated.

It added that there is broad consensus among political parties that the Irish health system ‘needs a transformation to respond better to the needs of the population and to put a stronger focus on prevention and primary care'.

"The inevitable increase in the demand for services in years to come due to population growth and ageing, when capacity constraints already exist today, makes it even more important to find a long-term solution."

The full report on Ireland can be viewed here