Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 to 20, inclusive, together.

The Cabinet committee on health last met on 4 June 2025 and is due to meet again on 17 July 2025. It oversees implementation of programme for Government commitments in relation to health, receives detailed reports on identified policy areas and considers health reforms, including Sláintecare and the reform of public health and health system preparedness for future health threats. It also receives reports on programme for Government commitments in the areas of mental health and drugs policy.

Path to Universal Healthcare: Sláintecare & Programme for Government 2025+, our latest Sláintecare strategy published last month, aims to forge the way towards accessible, affordable, high-quality, healthcare for the people when they need it and where they need it. We will continue to build our workforce through the recruitment of key roles, retention measures and additional college places for key disciplines. We have capacity to hire a further 6,105 whole-time equivalents, WTEs, to Department of Health-funded posts during the remainder of 2025. We will deliver faster access to care. Funding of €420 million has been allocated for the waiting list action plan 2025. We will continue to review capacity in emergency departments. We will increase the number of public-only consultants in emergency medicine and ensure more senior staff are rostered in emergency departments during weekends and public holidays for better decision-making. The construction of 297 new and replacement acute beds is expected to be completed in 2025. The surgical hub for south Dublin opened in February this year with additional hubs becoming operational later in 2025 and 2026. We will continue to invest in a healthier future with a national physical activity framework and action plan due to be published in 2025 and a new obesity policy and action plan to be published in 2026.

We are launching a new era of innovation and digital transformation in health. The national patient app has been rolled out, with additional features to be added later in the year. The national shared care record will be developed throughout the year and the electronic health record will also be progressed. Additional projects which are key to the increased digitalisation of the health service include a national system for electronic prescribing and remote health monitoring and virtual care solutions. In mental health we will continue to build the mental health workforce and infrastructure and support community-based services. In older people’s services we will support people to live at home within their communities and strengthen the nursing home sector. The welfare of residents is at the forefront of Government’s concerns. The forthcoming national policy on adult safeguarding for the health and social care sector, which is a programme for Government commitment, will set out how existing protections will be strengthened. This policy is near finalisation and will be brought to Government shortly.

All these commitments build on the investment and reforms undertaken over the past number of years, including the delivery of approximately 1,282 acute beds, an increased workforce of close to 30,000 since the start of 2020, more affordable healthcare through reductions in the drugs payment scheme threshold to €80, removal of hospital inpatient charges, extension of the eligibility for free GP cards for all children under eight and to all earning no more than the median income, State-funded IVF, free contraception for women aged 17 to 35 and free access to HRT therapies. From September 2021 to April 2025, there has been an almost 60% reduction in the number of people waiting longer than 12 months. Care is being delivered closer to home in 180 primary care centres through 96 community health networks, 27 community specialist teams for older persons and 26 community specialist teams for chronic disease are now operational. Some 23 community intervention teams are operational, with national coverage secured. The new regional structures within the HSE have been established with six new health regions and 20 integrated health areas. Health and social care services are planned and delivered around the specific needs of local populations and this leads to better co-ordination of care and access to services. We will continue to invest and reform.

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