Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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358. To ask the Minister for Health if he has sought changes to the timing of allocations to the health service under the National Development Plan 2018-2027 to bring forward spending of over €900 million originally earmarked for the end of the ten-year programme; and the outcome of such discussions as part of the recent estimates process. [43200/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The €10.9 billion provided for the public health sector in the National Development Plan is very welcome and will allow for implementation over the next 10 years of a solid, ambitious plan to build a better health service for the future. This funding provides us with the opportunity to further reform and modernise our health service to meet the needs of our growing and ageing population. Capital investments over the coming decade will support existing Government priority projects and commitments, facilitate the shift to new models of care and enable the roll-out of new additional capacity, guided by the implementation of Sláintecare.

Seeking to deliver on the National Development Plan and following discussions with my colleague the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, Budget 2019 provides:

- €20m additional capital funding in 2018

- Capital funding of €667m in 2019 – an increase of €174m (35%)

- €50m capital funding brought forward to 2020 and ringfenced for developing health service capacity.