Fine Gael TD for Cork South Central and Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children, Jerry Buttimer, has today (Friday) said that the publication of the capital spending plan for 2012-2016 underlines the Government’s commitment to prioritise health services.
“We are facing unprecedented times of economic hardship, which necessitate cutbacks to spending across all areas of Government. However, despite the budgetary constraints we are under, the Government has clearly illustrated its commitment to our health services through the publication of the capital spending plan.
“The Government is maintaining the existing levels of health capital investment; a major achievement given our financial situation. The Programme for Government clearly states that health capital spending will be a priority and this is demonstrated by the fact that over the years 2012-2016 an investment of €1,950 million or €390 million per year will be made in health infrastructure.
“By giving the go ahead to major national projects, such as the National Children’s Hospital and the replacement of the Central Mental Hospital, the spending programme has a clear focus on protecting the most vulnerable members of our society; children and those with mental health difficulties.
“Capital spending is very important for the development and evolution of our health services, and it will be vital for the reform promised under the Programme for Government. Key to this is enhancing primary care, and ensuring that high-quality and cost effective care is delivered in the most appropriate settings.
“Primary care is central to the Government’s objective to deliver an integrated and cost-effective healthcare system. The provision of integrated services where the patient can have access to the GP, Public Health Nurses, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists, Dieticians and many other services, all in the same building is the kind of service the public wants and deserves. This can and will be delivered as part of this spending programme.
“This Government was elected on a mandate to completely reform our health service. We are committed to delivering a universal, single-tier system, which guarantees access to medical care based on need, not income. By investing in primary care, we will ensure that more care is delivered in the community with optimum health outcomes. The Government is already fulfilling this commitment by maintaining health spending in the new capital investment plan.”