16 October 2023

FODO Ireland member update – Eye Care Funding 2024

As you will know, FODO Ireland has submitted evidence to the Finance Minister as part of the government's budget review for 2024. We have made the case that members have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic and beyond, and have suffered real, significant and sustained cuts in funding both before and over this period.

With next year's health care spend announced in this week's budget, we wait to learn what this means for essential eye care services.
 
At this stage, we know that the funding allocation for the DSP's treatment benefit scheme is set to increase by 26% next year but specific details have not yet been published. Similarly, the Department of Health has not released any detail behind the headlines of tackling hospital waiting lists.
 
Garvan Mulligan, Chair of FODO Ireland, said: "We are seeking clarity on what the budget announcement means in detail for eye care fees for next year.
 
"Throughout 2023, FODO Ireland has continued to engage and meet with HSE, explaining the importance of the eye care that members provide, and the areas where there is a need for investment and innovation. This includes allowing children to access optometry services locally, so that they no longer have to suffer long delays waiting for stretched hospital eye care services; and calling for changes to the bureaucratic process of medical card pre-authorisation.
 
"We have been reassured by the Minister for Health's repeated commitments to uplift the COSS standard eye examination fee in 2023 and are actively seeking clarity from the Department of Health and Department for Social Protection about what these announcements now mean in reality for eye care."
 
FODO Ireland will provide updates on these matters across the rest of 2023.
 
More on what we know at this stage
 
The 2024 budget announcement on Tuesday 10 October outlined the spending priorities for the government for the next year.
 
For the Department of Health, the budget allocation received a significantly smaller uplift than it has over the last few years (€100m, compared to €250m last year). The focus for the Department of Health is:

• €500 million to tackle waiting lists, including opening and staffing six new surgical hubs
• expansion of the free contraception scheme to include women aged 17 - 31
• increased funding for mental health
• increased funding for digital health
• the first full-year programme of publicly-funded Assisted Human Reproduction services
• €36.3 million package of surge measures to respond to periods of heightened demand across acute and community services

For the Department of Social Protection, the focus is financial support to assist people with the Cost of Living, including across the board increases in weekly payments of €12, and increases to:

• Child Benefit
• Disability and Carer's benefits
• Working Family Payments
• Fuel Allowance
• Living Alone allowance
• Christmas Bonus and January Cost of Living Bonus

For both Departments, the post-budget detail of their planned spend failed to include any mention of eye care - whether related to the HSE's COSS contract, the DSP's treatment benefit scheme or any other initiatives.
 
Read the full Department of Health announcement.
Read the full Department of Social Protection announcement.