– Click here to view the Sinn Féin Alternative Health Budget 2024 in full.
– Click here to view the Sinn Féin policy consultation document, ‘Priorities for Change in Health and Social Care’.
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Health, David Cullinane TD, has this morning launched Sinn Féin’s Alternative Budget for Health 2024 and a policy consultation document, Priorities for Change in Health and Social Care.
Teachta Cullinane outlined Sinn Féin’s multi-year plan to fix the health service, which would start with a ‘Year 1’ investment of €1.3 billion in capacity, workforce training, and cutting the cost of healthcare.
Sinn Féin is proposing a major reduction in the cost of medicines to help families with the cost of living by reducing the maximum monthly drugs payment to €50 from €80, abolishing prescription charges, and by extending medical cards for 400,000 additional people.
We are also proposing a major investment in 1,800 additional hospital beds over three years to tackle overcrowding in hospitals and long wait times.
The wide-ranging package includes proposals totalling €509 million for improving access to hospital; €241 million for cutting the cost of healthcare; €100 million for investment across GPs, pharmacies, and community healthcare; €155 million on disability services; €98 million on home support and care for older people; €75 million on mental health services; €26 million on addiction and recovery; €31 million on developing the health workforce; and €170 million across a range of strategies to improve healthcare outcomes across cancer, women’s health, cardiovascular health, and more.
Teachta Cullinane said:
“Sinn Féin has a plan to fix the health service, starting with a major €1.3 billion investment in the first year. This is part of a multi-year plan to deliver an Irish National Health Service which ends the two-tier health system and removes cost barriers to healthcare.
“We have a plan to cut waiting times by opening up more beds and training more healthcare workers.
“We would cut the cost of healthcare by cutting medicine costs, delivering 400,000 additional medical cards, and reducing minor injury unit charges.
“We would deliver the world-leading child and youth mental health service that our children deserve.
“We would deliver for people with disabilities by funding the recommendations of the Disability Capacity Review, and by ratifying the UNCRPD Optional Protocol.
“Sinn Féin’s plan would deliver universal healthcare over two terms of Government, tackle waste and inefficiency in the health service, and bring real accountability through significant reforms to the health service.
“We would implement a new healthcare entitlements scheme to deliver universal healthcare, which we call the ‘Sláintecard’. We would reform the NTPF to reduce private outsourcing and build public capacity to tackle long waiting lists.
“For too long under Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael our health service has lurched from crisis the crisis. We can do so much better.
“Patients, their families and health staff deserve a health system that works. It’s time to start fixing our health service. It’s time for change.”
ENDS
Note to Editor:
– Click here to view the Sinn Féin Alternative Health Budget 2024 in full.
– Click here to view the Sinn Féin policy consultation document, ‘Priorities for Change in Health and Social Care’.
