Health services cuts over, Varadkar will tell ardfheis

Minister for Health Leo Varadkar will today announce that the "cycle of cuts" in the health service is now over and that Irish medical professionals working abroad should consider coming home.

In a major speech to the Fine Gael ardfheis this afternoon, Mr Varadkar will tell party members that the period of retrenchment and cutbacks in the health services – it lasted seven years and has been the subject of continuous public criticism – is now nearing an end.

"It will take us several years to rebuild our health service, and we are only just getting started, but the cycle of cuts is over. I want the message to go out from here to our doctors, nurses and therapists in England, Australia and the Middle East that it's time to consider coming home and being part of the health service recovery in Ireland, " he will tell delegates.

“Recruitment of nurses is under way again and this year the number of nurses directly employed in our public health service will increase by more than 500. That’s on top of any increase in mental health nurses.”

Mr Varadkar has promised the Government will now sanction recruiting in other areas too. “Now that we have a deal on consultant pay, the HSE was able to advertise 30 consultant posts last week. This is part of the first batch of more than 100, with many more to follow.”

In the course of the speech, he will accept that there remains “a lot of things wrong in our health service”.

However, he will emphasise a number of areas where he says things are being done well. He instances hospital-acquired infections such as MRSA, the rates of which were close to an all-time low.

“Medicine prices are falling for patients and taxpayers due to greater competition and tough negotiations. Our ambulance services are improving. We have an air ambulance service for the first time, we have skilled paramedics who begin treatment long before you get to the hospital and are supported by Community First Responders.

Mr Varadkar will deliver his speech this afternoon ahead of Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s leader’s address at 8.30pm.