Healthcare in the Republic of Ireland is managed by the Health Service Executive, under the Department of Health (Irish: An Roinn Sláinte).
Everyone ordinarily resident in Ireland and some visitors are entitled to public health services either free of charge or at a reduced cost. To get all free services you have to have a medical card. Services for children are free for everyone. Maternity and infant care services are free for everyone who is ordinarily resident. People on the Long Term Illness Scheme can get the drugs and medicines for the treatment of their illness free.[1]
In 2023 Irish budget an extra €23.4 billion was given to health. This gave more people a GP visit card and stopped hospital charges.[2]
Hospitals
In 2013 the public hospitals were formed into six hospital groups:
- Dublin North East;
- Dublin Midlands;
- Dublin East;
- South/South West;
- West/North West;
- Midwest;[3]
Primary care
In 2023 there was a serious shortage of dentists in Ireland. Children were said to be waiting to wait up to 10 years for a dental check. Only 620 dentists were in the medical card scheme. There were about 1,600 in 2012. The scheme only gives people a restricted amount of treatments in the year. It “places significant restrictions on the care that dentists can provide to public patients, with only tooth extractions being limitless”.[4]
References
