Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 to 29, inclusive, together.

The Covid-19 and health unit of my Department supports me and the Government in developing and implementing health policy and related matters and co-ordinating the Government's response to Covid-19. This includes supporting the work of the Cabinet committee on health, the Cabinet committee on Covid-19 and the associated supporting senior officials groups and structures. In addition, the unit provides me with speech and briefing material on health matters and Covid-19 for Government meetings, Cabinet committee meetings, Oireachtas business, attendance at events and engagements with a wide range of stakeholders, including representative bodies and members of the public.

The Cabinet committee on health oversees the implementation of programme for Government commitments in regard to healthcare, receives detailed reports on identified policy areas and considers the implementation of health reforms, including Sláintecare. The committee last met on 14 November. The date of the next meeting has not yet been set but the meetings are regular.

In addition to the meetings of the full Cabinet and of Cabinet committees, I meet with Ministers individually to focus on different issues. I meet regularly with the Minister for Health to discuss priorities in the area of health, including Sláintecare.

Budget 2023 provides the highest allocation of funding to the health and social sector in the history of the State. It is designed to facilitate better access to affordable, high-quality healthcare and to advance further our ambition for universal healthcare for all. The budget delivers on our commitment to continue to expand the core capacity of our acute hospitals by providing more health professionals and more acute hospital beds. It includes a €443 million funding package to treat tens of thousands of people on waiting lists and reduce the waiting times faced by all.

Among other eligibility measures introduced this year, we removed inpatient charges for under-16s and we will remove them for all patients in 2023. Next year, we will widen the eligibility for the GP card, which will allow many thousands more people to be covered. Additional eligibility measures include the provision of €10 million for access to IVF treatments, the expansion of the entitlement to free contraception to women aged 26 to 30 and, subject to legal advice and consultation, to 16-year-olds, and an allocation of €5 million to introduce free oral healthcare for children up to seven years of age.

Major increases in mental health services will be implemented, support for older people with a range of needs will be extended, and nearly €30 million in new funding has been allocated for expanded disability services. Coupled with these service improvements, we are also reforming how and where we deliver services. The enhanced community care programme continues to develop healthcare at a more local level, closer to where people live, thereby reducing pressure on hospital services. We will continue to advance these reforms in 2023, with work progressing on the establishment of six new regional health areas and on the elective care centres in Dublin, Cork and Galway. While it faces very serious challenges, our health system has expanded dramatically and is treating far more people and with better outcomes than ever before.

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