• €9.25 billion in healthcare funding over the next five years amounts to 9% of the total funding confirmed in the revised NDP until 2030

 

• ‘This funding comes after decades of underinvestment which has starved the health system of staff and resources along with inadequate planning’

 

Thursday July 24, 2025. The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has welcomed the Government’s announcement of €9.25 billion in healthcare infrastructure funding until 2030 but warned that this figure would not go nearly far enough to address multiple chronic and systemic issues in the health system.

 

The IMO was responding to the Government’s revised National Development Plan, which was announced on Tuesday.

 

The IMO noted that the announcement today confirmed €9.25 billion in healthcare funding over the next five years, which amounts to just 9% of the total funding ceiling of €102 billion in the revised National Development Plan until 2030.

 

Speaking today, Dr Anne Dee, President of the IMO, said it was incomprehensible how a major infrastructural plan could devote such limited funding to healthcare relative to other sectors. “The Government has to look at all areas of society and the IMO welcomes any investment in the health system, but it appears that healthcare has been overlooked in this instance which could have significant repercussions in future years.

 

“The reality is that it comes after decades of underinvestment which has starved the health system of staff and resources along with inadequate planning. This chronic lack of funding and planning have put our health system on the back-foot and as a result, the funding announced this week will not be sufficient to make the kind of difference needed for the staff working in our system and, most importantly, for the patients who deserve the very best care.”

 

Dr Dee said that reports suggesting €2 billion sought for investment in electronic health records was welcome, but we also need up to 5,000 acute hospital beds. The Programme for Government laid out plans for 4,000 to 4,500 new and refurbished beds but we are still waiting on a detailed plan for investment and delivery of those beds.

 

She added that a meaningful workforce plan was needed to meet the staffing needs of any new infrastructure. “We simply do not have enough doctors or beds in our system, problems which need to be addressed as a clear priority. Without this focus, our health system cannot operate at the level it needs to be at, and we will be playing catch-up for years to come.”

 

She said that investment in a modern and sustainable healthcare system is critical for our future development and resilience, and the IMO awaits further details of the sectoral investment plan for health.