Tipperary TD Michael Lowry wants the Minister for Health and the Department of Health to provide regular updates to the Dáil on where money allocated to Health is being spent, how it is being spent and what the investment delivers – the comments were made in reaction to the Budget. The Health allocation in the Budget is €22.5B of which €10.2B is allocated to pay and pensions.
Deputy Lowry cited the announcement of €225M to address Waiting Lists in Budget 2023 and asks what has been delivered? The TD also raised doubts about plans to increase the number of staff in the Health sector by 22,000 saying many healthcare workers were leaving the country.
Deputy Lowry says investment in Community Nursing units and Minor injury units is required to give timely local health care and to alleviate pressure on acute hospitals. The TD also criticised the failure to invest in UHL when the decision was made to close Accident & Emergency Departments in Nenagh and Ennis and says the Limerick Hospital remains under-funded and under-resourced. The TD told the Dáil that the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service(CAMHS) is staffed at less than two-thirds of national recommendations and asks where is the will and funding to provide counselling and psychotherapy services in all schools.
