THE GOVERNMENT should ensure that next week’s budget will secure funding for its commitment to have 500 primary care teams in the health system and for a continuation of the social housing programme, Fr Seán Healy of Cori Justice has said.
“It is crucial that Government use the limited resources at its disposal in next week’s budget to develop services, support the economy and protect the vulnerable,” he said.
Speaking yesterday, Fr Healy continued that “primary care has been recognised as a cornerstone of the healthcare system for many years.”
He said that “the national agreement Towards 2016 recognises this and commits Government to engage in ongoing investment to ensure integrated, accessible services for people within their own community with a target of 300 primary care teams by 2008, 400 by 2010 and 500 by 2011.’’
He commented that “progress towards this target has been unacceptably slow, but this kind of initiative should be prioritised in the revised National Development Plan (NDP) as it is central to addressing core problems in the health system.’’
He said that “an example of prioritising an initiative that plays a key role in ensuring broader societal goals are met would be funding the commitment to have 500 primary care teams in the health system”.
A further such example and which “would be good for the vulnerable and good for the economy, would be funding the continuation of the social housing programme contained in the Towards 2016 national agreement and in the NDP,’’ he said.
“Investment in social housing at this time would help address the housing waiting list, which has been growing. This would be good for the vulnerable.’’
It “would also make economic sense. Given the huge slowdown in construction, this is a good time to get maximum value from the resources invested in building social housing.
“Construction is also employment-intensive, which would be welcome in a time of growing unemployment,’’ he said.
More generally, Fr Healy said that “in making its decisions on next week’s budget, Government should give priority to initiatives that play a key role in ensuring that broader societal goals are met”. It should also resource “initiatives that are good for the vulnerable and good for the economy,’’ he said.
Cori Justice is a social partner. It negotiated and signed the last four national agreements.
