Sinn Féin spokesperson for Public Expenditure and NDP delivery, Rose Conway-Walsh TD, has called on the Minister for Health to finally publish the delayed HSE capital Investment plan for 2024.

Teachta Conway-Walsh said:

“It is very concerning that the HSE capital projects have still not been published. It is standard procedure for the Minister for Health to approve and publish the plan in the first half of the year.

“I was informed that the plan has been with the Minister since early April. When I put this to the Minister, he assured me that it would be published in a matter of weeks. That was three months ago.

“The HSE capital plan cuts through the government spin and shows what capital investment is really going ahead.

“We know that Health was underfunded in the 2024 budget. That has left communities up and down the country wondering if the projects they thought were approved are going ahead.

“This government has consistently underfunded capital investment since coming to office. Their inability to manage the National Children’s Hospital means it sucks up more and more of the capital budget.

“They never come out and say projects are cancelled. Instead, projects are quietly delayed or shelved and communities are kept in the dark.

“In my own county of Mayo people will be eagerly waiting to see a timeline for the long-promised extension to the emergency department at Mayo University Hospital as well as the development of Belmullet and Ballina Hospitals.

“A sense of uncertainty exists over many health projects across the state. People deserve clarity and transparency. That can only be achieved by the Minister publishing the HSE capital plan.”