Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 October 2018
132. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health the items of new expenditure in budget 2019 which would not be there without the existence of Sláintecare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43554/18]
View answerI would like to assure the Deputy that Sláintecare was my main priority in terms of the allocation of new funding in Budget 2019. The 2019 Budget features over €200m which will directly support a range of additional services including initiatives proposed in the Sláintecare Report and committed to in the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy including:
- Ringfenced funding for the Sláintecare Programme Office;
- €20m for the establishment of a new ring-fenced Sláintecare Integration Fund to drive improvements in the way we deliver care across the system;
- Funding for a new GP contract which is critical to the Sláintecare vision of delivering more care in the community;
- Expansion of free GP care, by increasing the weekly income threshold for GP Visit card by €25 which could benefit up to 100,000 people. This supports the Sláintecare recommendation to move towards universal GP care over 5 years;
- Additional funding for 100 new therapy posts to address assessment of need waiting lists for children with disabilities and funding to ensure that the needs of all those leaving school in 2019 will be addressed;
- €55m in new development funding aimed at further enhancing community mental health teams for adults and children;
- Reducing user charges and out of pocket payments by further reductions in prescription charges - 50 cent reduction in prescription charges from €2.00 to €1.50 for all medical card holders over the age of 70. This is in line with a Sláintecare recommendation to reduce prescription charges;
- A €10 reduction in the monthly Drugs Payment Scheme threshold from €134 to €124 which is also in line with a key Sláintecare recommendation;
- Increased investment of €20m in the National Treatment Purchase Fund. €75m will be available to the NDPF IN 2019 which will be used to treat 70,000 patients on waiting lists in 2019; and
- Additional funding for care redesign and the National Children's Hospital.
Funding has also been provided to expand existing health services, in line with Sláintecare recommendations and full details of this will be contained in the National Service Plan to be published in December.
