Keeping in Touch Cllr. Michael
O'Connell FREE GP CARE FOR CHILDREN AGED 5 & UNDER Labour has secured funding of €37 million for the rollout of free GP care to children aged 5 or under. 250,000 children will benefit from this Budget measure. Over time it is our intention to roll free GP care out to the entire population. It makes sense for people to have easy access to their GP so that problems are caught earlier. If serious illness can be stopped or managed before ending up in hospital, it’s better for families and the patients. It will help reduce pressure at A&E’s and modernise delivery of healthcare in this country. This reform will ensure that families don’t have to worry about finding, on average, a €50 fee for the doctor when one of their children gets sick. No parent should have to prioritise bills when a child needs medical care. This is one of the first steps to a universal health insurance system that is focused on need, not income.
EXTRA FUNDING FOR HOME HEATING GRANTS €30 million in stimulus funding secured in Budget 2014 will now continue investment in the Better Energy and Warmer Home energy efficiency schemes to a total of €57 million. The Warmer Homes Scheme provides energy efficiency measures free of charge to low-income households. Over 15,000 homes are expected to benefit from upgrade under this programme in 2014. The estimate for 2014 under the Better Energy Homes is that a further 17,000 homes will be retrofitted next year. Earlier this year, a €70 million Energy Efficiency Fund was established to encourage similar works in public and commercial buildings, which will also boost employment, a key deliverable of the Government’s Action Plan for Jobs. For further information on Better Energy Warmer Homes, call Freephone 1800 250 204 or email warmerhomes@seai.ie
M: 086 835 1333
E: moconnell@corkcity.ie