BUDGET 2019: Health

€84 million will be provided for Mental Health Services in 2019.

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe announced that there will be an additional €84 million allocated to mental health services on October 9th, 2018.

This additional funding will see the total funding for mental health services increase to €1 billion, an increase of 9 per cent, said Donohoe.

“Total available funding for the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) will be €75 million in 2019. The extra €20 million I am making available today represents a substantial 36 per cent increase on last year’s allocation,” Donohoe said.

Donohoe also announced that there will be a 50c reduction in prescription charges, which will decrease from €2.00 to €1.50 for all medical card holders over the age of 70.

“This year I will allocate an additional €700 million by way of a supplementary estimate, bringing the total additional 2018 investment to €1.2 billion. I am announcing a further increase of €1.05 billion in Health funding for 2019. This brings the health budget to €17 billion,” Donohoe said.

He stated that there will be a €25 increase in the weekly income threshold for GP Visit cards.

€174 million has been provided as part of the 2019 capital envelope for Health, with the total capital allocation increasing to €670 million in 2019.

Donohoe claimed that recent years have seen the “highest level of health investment in the history of the State.”

Disability services will see an increase of €150 million, bringing the total funding to €2 billion.

By Ellen Fitzpatrick

Image credit: Irish Health.com