Minister for Health publishes NDP Sectoral Plan for Health 2026-2030
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From: Department of Health
- Published on: 28 November 2025
- Last updated on: 28 November 2025
Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has today published the Department of Health’s Sectoral Plan for 2026-2030 under the National Development Plan (NDP). The Sectoral Plan sets out infrastructure investment priorities for the next five years, building on a strong track record of delivery to support the provision of equitable, accessible and high-quality healthcare across Ireland.
The NDP provision for the health sector for 2026-2030 is €9.25 billion. This represents the largest ever investment in public health infrastructure in the State and will help to deliver a stronger, more modern and digitised healthcare service, providing better and faster care for patients, improved services for families, and a safer, more supportive environment for healthcare workers.
This increased investment for 2026-2030 will be used to progress and deliver a range of health sector priorities throughout the country, including:
- health digitalisation, such as progressing the HSE Health App, National Shared Care Record, Electronic Health Records (EHR), ePrescribing, Virtual Care and modern workforce and workplace digital technologies
- opening the National Children's Hospital of Ireland and progress the construction of the new National Maternity Hospital
- delivering more Surgical Hubs to provide elective care across the regions
- complete detailed design and statutory planning for the Elective Care Programme with the ambition to progress these to get construction underway
- constructing new acute beds and projects in acute hospitals through the regions (including theatres and Emergency Departments)
- investing in Cancer Care including Radiation Oncology
- continuing to invest in community services, including primary and enhanced community care programmes, across the country
- building and updating facilities for older persons’ long-term residential care
- modernising six priority acute mental health units, expanding specialist eating disorder bed capacity, and develop Ireland's first perinatal mother and baby unit
- continuing to invest in ambulances, ambulance bases, equipment replacement and projects addressing infrastructural risk
- investing in climate and sustainability projects
The HSE’s 2026 National Service Plan (NSP) and associated Capital Plan are currently being finalised and will reflect the priorities and ambition set out in this Sectoral Plan.
Minister Carroll MacNeill said:
"I secured an allocation of €9.25 billion under the NDP Review to fund our capital and infrastructure programmes over the next five years. This Health Sectoral Plan will ensure that every euro allocated to health infrastructure is invested with value for money and regional balance to the fore.
"Through carefully planned investment in infrastructure, we can advance Sláintecare’s vision of a modern, integrated and patient-centred health service – one that prioritises health outcomes and delivers the most ambitious digital transformation in the history of our health service.
"Our goal is clear: wherever you live in Ireland, we want you to have timely access to high-quality care."
Minister of State with responsibility for Mental Health, Mary Butler, said:
"The Sectoral Plan published today sets out my clear commitment to an ambitious programme of multi-annual capital investment in mental health services.
"This unprecedented allocation will support the modernisation of six priority acute mental health units, expand specialist eating disorder bed capacity and develop a new perinatal mother and baby mental health unit - a first for the island of Ireland.
"By transforming care environments through significant investment in mental health infrastructure, we will continue to improve recovery outcomes for people accessing our services."
Minister of State of State with responsibility for Older People, Kieran O’Donnell, said:
"Investment through this NDP, as set out in this Health Sectoral Plan, will enable us to further invest in infrastructure supporting services for older people. This will mean that we can increase overall capacity by constructing new facilities such as Community Nursing Units, as well as replacing existing units, thus providing the best facilities we can for those in long term residential care across the country."
Minister of State of State with responsibility for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor, said:
"This NDP allocation will continue to support investment in our community services and social inclusion across the country, reducing health inequalities and improving access to healthcare for vulnerable and marginalised groups. This investment means we can continue to support public health & wellbeing as well as palliative care services."
Notes
The NDP 2026-2030 and associated Sectoral Plan outlines a continued and expanded commitment to health infrastructure investment, aligned with Sláintecare and the National Planning Framework. The plan supports a shift toward community-based care, digital transformation, and capacity expansion across the health service.
The capital allocations set out for the Health vote (including eHealth) over the years 2026-2030 are:
| Year | Amount |
| 2026 | €1,560 million |
| 2027 | €1,720 million |
| 2028 | €1,815 million |
| 2029 | €2,050 million |
| 2030 | €2,105 million |
The 2026 allocation of €1,560 million is a €100 million (7%) increase over the 2025 allocation of €1,460 million. The annual NDP allocation will increase each year across the period 2026-2030.
The Department of Health is committed to using the NDP allocation to deliver a modern, integrated, and patient-centred health service that delivers for the people of Ireland today and into the future. We will support the progression of key health sector priorities, subject to appraisal and prioritisation. Such priorities include:
- health digitalisation, including progressing the HSE Health App, National Shared Care Record, Electronic Health Records (EHR), ePrescribing, Virtual Care, investing in cyber security and the use of Artificial Intelligence
- open the National Children’s Hospital Ireland and progress the construction of the new National Maternity Hospital at Elm Park
- complete construction and open a network of Surgical Hubs across the Regions
- complete detailed design and statutory planning for the Elective Care Programme with the ambition to get construction underway
- construction of acute projects across the country including acute hospital bed capacity, trauma projects and diagnostic facility projects Investment in cancer care including Radiation Oncology
- continue to invest in, and complete, the HIQA Community Nursing Units compliance programme. Commence the programme to build new public bed capacity and facilities for older persons’ long-term residential care across the country, in line with identified capacity requirements
- continue to invest in community care programmes across the country including the Primary Care Programme and Enhanced Community Care Programme
- advance the programme of multi-annual capital investment in mental health services, including the priority mental health sites, perinatal care, specialist eating disorder beds, and other community-based infrastructure
- continued investment in ambulances, ambulance bases, equipment and projects, addressing infrastructure risk across the country
- investment in climate and sustainability projects (including deep and shallow retrofit)