Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister will be aware of the huge underfunding of the health sector in budget 2024 starting at €1.3 billion as already mentioned. In reality, the follow-on from this means there will be no additional services this year or into 2024 and there will be no moneys for future strategies. The health service is already creaking at the seams. Due to these cuts, the system has instantaneously experienced cuts to front-line services, with the loss of 7,000 unfunded posts, and a recruitment ban in respect of some front-line posts. I put it to the Minister that there are 600,000 people on some form of waiting list as we speak. There are 10,000 children with disabilities who have been waiting more than 12 months to see either a consultant, a speech therapist, an occupational therapist or a psychiatrist. More than 5,500 children are waiting for assessments of need. There are 700 vacancies in this sector alone, with a 64% vacancy in children's disability network teams. In my constituency, CHO 4 is the third most affected area in the country, with 1,424 children waiting for contact from their disability network teams. Wexford General Hospital was promised 69 new beds but I suppose they too will be collateral budgetary damage.

The underfunding of health has the direct result of placing enormous pressure on the workforce and is putting staff and patients at risk. This will have a knock-on effect in just about every service across the country. The term "crisis" has become synonymous with this Government. Here we are again with a worsening health crisis. Just this week in Wexford, the Ford

Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre had to give notice of its closure on 30 November next. This comes as a great shock to all the people in Wexford and to the families they have helped over the past 30 years. Imagine the shock and trauma these clients are currently going through. Will the Minister tell me and everyone else what people are to do? Inadequate guaranteed annual funding has been cited as the main reason for the closure. Now there will be even less money.

Never mind moving forward, our health system will hardly be able to keep standing still. The people of Ireland deserve to be looked after far better. Their health and well-being should be our foremost priorities. The Government must immediately increase the funding allocation for the Department of Health for 2024 before it becomes a case of "Physician, heal thyself". I hope all Deputies will support this motion.

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