Health

Few new services expected from €1.2bn health spend increase

Only €254 million will be spent on new measures, the rest will go to increases in delivering existing services

(l-r) Mary Butler, minister of state, Stephen Donnelly, Minister for Health, Anne Rabbitte, minister of state, Frank Feighan, minister of state at Budget 2023 confernence last week: Donnelly said reducing waiting lists was challenging, but that some areas were ahead of target. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos

The majority of the €1.2 billion increase in health spending announced as part of Budget 2023 will not deliver new services and will instead be used to fund increases in the cost of existing measures.

Just €254 million, or one-fifth, of the increase will go towards new measures, according to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s expenditure report.

The rest will be absorbed by demographic changes, pay increases, and other inflationary pressures on delivering ...