Overseas funds promised

Minister for Health Dr James Reilly TD told the recent IDA conference that he has been approached by two overseas funds to invest €1 billion into primary care facilities in Ireland.

He revealed to the audience in Killarney that the government was still in the early stages of negotiations with the funds – one from the UK and one from the US – who are thought to be willing to invest €500 million each.

Dr Reilly explained that the government was looking into ways that primary care practitioners could have ownership and involvement of facilities but that the state itself could no longer afford to fund all the primary care centres that are currently required.

The health minister also said that it was unacceptable that some 15,000 Irish children were on waiting lists for orthodontic treatment