Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 November 2019
531. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 376 of 22 October 2019, if he has evaluated the full costings over the ten-year timeframe provided in the Sláintecare report; his views on whether the costings (details supplied) are accurate for the purposes of implementing the recommendations in the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44594/19]
View answerThe Sláintecare report was produced by the all-party Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Healthcare, which was established to devise cross party agreement on a single long term vision for health care and direction of health policy in Ireland. The Committee engaged the Centre for Health Policy in Trinity College Dublin to assist with its deliberations. As part of this process, the Centre provided indicative costings for a range of recommended actions. The Committee acknowledge in the report that these costings are only indicative, and that further work will be required by the Implementation Office in my Department and the HSE to ensure effective investment in change. The cost of implementing Sláintecare will depend on the prioritisation, sequencing and timing of actions, including key decisions on eligibility and entitlements, and the role of private health care in public hospitals. External factors such as general and medical inflation and changes in demand for services will also influence the cost of implementation. A significant budget of €45.5 million for 2020, rising to €95.5 million in 2021 has been committed to progress the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy.
