Sinn Féin aims to gradually eliminate prescription charges, an initiative that will feature prominently in its general election manifesto. If the party is voted into power, they plan to enact this proposal within their first 100 days. Amid a wave of scandals and controversies, Sinn Féin is set to present its health policy this week, as part of an effort to regain lost ground before the general elections.
The proposed healthcare plan would cost an extra €4.3 billion on top of the current health budget, pushing the annual spend to nearly €30 billion. Over a five-year term, an additional €15 billion is planned for infrastructure projects. Central to this increased expenditure is €1 billion geared towards reducing healthcare costs, including €350 million planned for the total termination of prescription fees.
David Cullinane, Sinn Féin’s health representative, will pledge to gradually extend full-medical cards to middle-income individuals over a five-year governmental term, eliminate costs for medical card holders, and establish a fresh public GP contract for family doctors wishing to work for the HSE directly. However, due to the strain it might cause on family doctors, there’ll be no expansion of GP-only medical cards beyond the existing number.
Sinn Féin also plans to propose a Healthcare for All Act that would set out a staged expansion of privileges and bind the State to offer complete public health coverage by 2035. In addition, the party’s initiatives include minimizing the Drug Payment Scheme’s highest monthly costs from €80 to nothing within five years, implementing a women’s universal pharmacy scheme covering HRT and contraception, and doing away with hospital car parking costs.
Despite being rocked by recurring scandals affecting the party’s popularity, Mr Cullinane defended the handling of the Michael McMonagle, Brian Stanley and Niall Ó Donnghaile cases by his party leader. He emphasized that Mary Lou McDonald adhered strictly to a robust process and that Sinn Féin addressed these issues to the best of their ability and with the best intentions.
Mr. Cullinane defended Ms. McDonald, suggesting that she was not intentionally deceiving people with her commendatory remarks regarding the former party leader of Seanad, Mr. Ó Donnghaile, upon his resignation. Amid the controversy surrounding Mr. Ó Donnghaile’s inappropriate communications with a young person, Ms. McDonald had alluded he was leaving due to health reasons, and recently clarified the teenager’s age in the Dáil records.
Criticism of the party’s leader, according to Mr. Cullinane, was unjustly harsh. He acknowledged declining polls and issues with the party’s key message on healthcare and housing not resonating with the voters as effectively as during the middle of the ongoing Dáil term. However, Mr. Cullinane firmly refuted the notion that Sinn Féin had failed in any way.
“I refuse the idea that we have come short, or that we have not proposed an alternative,” he stated, conveying that their message, for whatever reasons, wasn’t reaching or resonating with the public. He emphasised the importance of the upcoming three-week campaign where voters can focus on the elections.
Mr. Cullinane shared that the party was feeling the burden to perform well and restated his criticisms of the current government, particularly its handling of healthcare policy. He described the government’s approach as becoming comfortable with failure and pledged to champion health sector reforms, synchronising funding with reforms.
While recognising the recent influx of funding and changes in health policy, Mr. Cullinane asserted that Health Minister Stephen Donnelly would need to answer for the long waiting lists, the Scoliosis crisis, over-utilization of hospital trolleys, the controversy surrounding the University Hospital Limerick, and shortcomings in mental health and disability services.