The Government is to provide a further increase of €1.05bn in health funding for 2019.
This brings the health budget for next year to €17bn - the highest level of health investment in the history of the State.
Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe confirmed the allocation of an additional €700 million to the health service, by way of a supplementary estimate, bringing the total additional 2018 investment to €1.2 billion.
Delivering Budget 2019, Minister Donohoe said the additional investment in health in the last two years comes to €2.25 billion or an increase of 15%.
The allocation announced today will facilitate a range of additional services including initiatives proposed under Slaintecare, including:
- €25 increase in the weekly income threshold for GP visit cards
- 50 cent reduction in prescription charges from €2 to €1.50 for all medical card holders over the age of 70
- €10 reduction in the monthly Drugs Payment Scheme threshold from €134 to €124.
The Government is to provide an additional €84 milion for mental health services in 2019, bringing the total available funding for mental health to €1 billion. Minister Donohoe said this is an increase of 9%.
An extra €20m will be made available to the National Treatment Purchase Fund, bringing total funding for next year to €75m.
The Minister is providing €150m more for disability services next year to bring total funding in this area to almost €2bn.
