Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 July 2021
1855. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of the additional funding allocated in budget 2021 to palliative care strategy; and the areas in which and items it was spent on. [35655/21]
View answerA total of €117m has been allocated in the HSE's National Service Plan 2021 for palliative care services, which represents an increase of 15.2% or €15.4m on the 2020 palliative care budget. The increased level of funding in 2021 demonstrates the Government's commitment to improving access to palliative care and end of life care services for people with life limiting conditions and their families.
The additional €15.4m in funding for palliative care comprises:
- €7.7m to address financial sustainability challenges in the voluntary hospice sector;
- €5.7m to meet the full year cost of developments commenced in 2020, including an additional 55 hospice beds in Mayo, Wicklow, Kildare and Waterford, all of which are open except the 20 bed unit in Waterford which is due to come on stream in September 2021; and
- an additional €2m to expand the children’s palliative care programme, which includes support for LauraLynn Children’s Hospice.
