Relevant Matter
Matters involving public funds
Public Policy Area
Health
Period
1 Sep, 2025 to 31 Dec, 2025
Specific Details
Budget 2026
Intended results
Establish a cross-departmental group to address health inequality in Ireland. Such a group should be tasked with addressing all the social, environmental and commercial determinants of health inequality.
Ensure all new policies are subject to a health impact assessment.
Improve Access to Care through Investment in the Public Health System Capital and operational, - Resources should be allocated on the basis of population need.
- Increase the number of new inpatient beds from 3,438 to 5,000 under the Acute Hospital Bed Capacity Expansion Plan 2024-2031 and publish a detailed plan laying out the costs timeline and staffing for the delivery of new beds.
Develop and fund a comprehensive medical workforce plan to increase the number of consultants and training posts to meet workforce requirements; Address ongoing challenges in recruitment and retention. Deliver on the recommendations of the National Taskforce on the NCHD Workforce;
Increase the number of training posts to ensure access to training for International doctors and explore international recipricol training programmes.
Invest in General Practice with targeted measures to support newly qualified GPs in establishing themselves as GP partners/principals; tax incentives for established GPs to invest in premises and equipment; increase practice employment supports to allow for widening of the GP Practice Team
Increase the level of funding under the Social Deprivation Practice Grant Support to allow GPs and introduce a weighted capitation payment for deprivation for GMS patients
- Publish and resource an investment plan to fully digitalise the health service over the next 5 years including the roll out of Summary Care and Shared Care Electronic Health Records to enhance quality, integrated care and support service planning.
Improve and Enhance Services in General Practice including
Expansion of the CDM Programmes on a universal basis to all patients with specified chronic conditions over 18 years old.
Investment in a comprehensive women’s health programme in General Practice including advice on contraception, sexually transmitted infections, fertility, preconception, menopause
Negotiate and fund a GP-led national obesity service, integrated into primary care, with clear pathways to specialist care.
• Ensure that children have the best start in life through investment in early childhood intervention and prevention services and additional resources for public health and community health services
- Increase funding for mental health services and place mental health on a par with physical health with allocation of resources based on population needs.
- Undertake an urgent review of the current model of community-based mental health services to
o Ascertain its impact on staffing levels and patient care
o And facilitate better integration of specialist mental health services within the larger health system
- Increase the number of long term nursing home beds, rehabilitative care beds, and financing of home care packages in line with population need.
For the Government to set aside funds to support the reconstruction of the health service and facilities for the population of Gaza, and to expand the International Medical Graduate Training Initiative (IMGTI) to include doctors from Palestine.
Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity
Ms Vanessa Hetherington, Assistant Director, Policy and International Affairs
Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?)
No
Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign?
No
Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client?
No
Mass communications
Email All Oireachtas Members
Lobbying activity
The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.
Designated public officials lobbied
The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them.
As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.
Jennifer Carroll MacNeill
Minister (Department of Health)
Jack Chambers
Minister (Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform)
Paschal Donohoe
Minister (Department of Finance)