Health minister prioritising infrastructure over recruitment in upcoming budget

The minister for health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, said that 'there is no point in extra surgeons if they don't have a place to do extra surgical activity'. She and HSE CEO Bernard Gloster spoke to the media at the National Integrated Healthcare Conference 2025 in the Convention Centre. Picture: Sam Boal/Collins Photos

The health minister has warned it is “not sustainable” for health spending to continue at current high rates, and said her priority for the next budget is infrastructure not recruitment.

“What we need is extra capacity, we need extra infrastructure. There is no point in recruiting extra surgeons if they don’t have a place to do extra surgical activity.”

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill described health funding since 2019 as an “extraordinary financial investment”, noting the current budget of €26bn and pointing out that one in every four of the population's tax euros goes back into health.

“We won’t be able as a society, as a group of people here together, to continue to increase the spend at the rate that it has and to have a sustainable public system," she said while attending the HSE's Integrated Care conference on Thursday.

"I know that I can’t sustain the budget increases that we’ve had in the last while. 

"I think what you need to think about is a repositioning from the very-needed extra funds in the current budget and the budget for recruiting additional professionals to ‘we also need to build more health infrastructure’ — and that has to be a priority over the next five years."

Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said the population is growing and more people are living longer. Picture: Sam Boal/Collins Photos

The minister said that while that is increasing the health budget, "it’s just doing it in a different way on the capital side rather than the focus that has been on the current side". 

Ms Carroll MacNeill said the population is growing and more people are living longer. She indicated this means health services will have to increase their capacity.

This includes surgical hubs, although she acknowledged only one of these is taking patients so far.

Cabinet approval was given for five hubs in December 2022, with seven now planned. A hub for Donegal was added to the list in July. The Cork hub will be on the Cork University Hospital campus.

She also said she has received a timeline report covering care given to Harvey Morrison Sherratt at Children’s Health Ireland.

HSE CEO Bernard Gloster has been in correspondence with Harvey Morrison Sherratt's family and hopes to involve them in the review. Picture: Sam Boal/Collins Photos

The nine-year-old died in July, having struggled to access care for scoliosis and spina bifida hydrocephalus for some years.

The minister told reporters she is available to meet with his parents, Gillian and Stephen, at a time that is right for them.

HSE CEO Bernard Gloster said: “I got a draft timeline from CHI around their engagement with Harvey.” 

He has been in correspondence with the family and hopes to meet with them and involve them in the review.

“They clearly are grieving at the moment, and they need to be allowed time to do that,” he said. 

“I’ve made it very clear I will facilitate them in any engagement they want to have.” 

He also said “a constant series of improvements” in spinal care for children continues.