Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Sláintecare implementation office has been established, the director has been appointed, the implementation framework has been published and the action plan will be published before the end of the year. A decision on time to debate any matter in the Dáil is a matter for the Business Committee but I am sure we would be happy to facilitate that. There is a perception, which I am sure the Deputy knows is incorrect, that the €20 million set aside next year for Sláintecare implementation is all that is set aside for it. There is a lot more to it than that. There is a big increase in the capital budget and a big part of Sláintecare involves investment in new IT, new capacity such as bed capacity and primary care centres. There is also money in it to reduce prescription charges for people who have medical cards and people who do not. There is money in it to extend eligibility for the GP visit card and increasing the income eligibility limits. There are other investments as well. Nobody should make the mistake of thinking the €20 million is all that is set aside in 2019 for Sláintecare. There is a raft of measures ranging from capital spending to eligibility for medical cards and reduced prescription charges. All of those are Sláintecare measures.

See this speech in context