Pre-Budget Submission from the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland

The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland is calling for investment in health services to strengthen capacity in community and hospital settings in Budget 2026.

The college, which represents over 14,000 doctors working and training in the health service, is calling for:

• Investment to expand workforce capacity and services in community and hospital settings, supporting Ireland’s obligations under the WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel.
• Investment in additional consultant posts, specialist medical training places, and targeted investment to increase acute hospital beds and long-term community care supports and facilities. 
• Increased investment in disability services to meet the needs of children with disabilities, supporting Ireland’s obligations under international human rights frameworks. We also call for investment in structured programmes for young people moving from paediatric to adult care.  
• Investment in actions to support development of an age-friendly health system, reduce health inequalities including, funding for National Clinical Programmes, including those that focus on chronic disease such as Obesity, as a key component of national chronic disease management and prevention efforts and universal access to Occupational Health Services.  
• Investment in the HSE Climate Action Strategy,  Ireland’s Digital Health Framework, and the adoption of legislation for net zero carbon targets in healthcare. 
• Health focused tobacco taxation policies that are protected from industry interference, alongside investment in anti-smuggling measures.
• Increased excise duties on alcohol, and the introduction of alcohol health warning labels. 

The full submission can be accessed here.

The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland is a member of Irish alliances of health sector organisations including the Alcohol Health Alliance, Health Promotion Alliance, the Tobacco 21 Alliance and the Climate and Health Alliance and is supportive of their pre-budget submissions.  

Commenting on the Pre-Budget submission, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Dr Diarmuid O’Shea said; “To build a resilient and equitable health system, Budget 2026 must prioritise investment in workforce capacity, hospital and community services, and chronic disease management. We need targeted action to reduce health inequalities and meet our international obligations—this is essential for delivering high-quality care to everyone in Ireland.”