Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

This marks the next phase in the implementation of universal GP care.

Funding is also being made available next year to provide therapeutic services for children, particularly for speech and language therapy. Over 2 million children are now covered by a medical or GP-visit card. This is 25% more than in 2010 and substantially improves people’s access to primary care services.

In our hospitals, 880,000 day-cases will be carried out by the end of the year, an increase of nearly 20% over the past five years.

This year, for the first time, the Government placed the fair deal nursing home scheme on a fully funded, demand-led basis. This will continue next year, with Government funding of €940 million for the fair deal alone. Everyone who needs fair deal funding will have approval within four weeks.

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