Committee urges legislation to secure Ireland's universal healthcare promise

The Oireachtas Health Committee convened to assess progress on Ireland's Sláintecare universal health system, focusing on the need for a legislated entitlement to care. Chair Padraig Rice prompted experts to discuss why the absence of a statutory right hampers momentum. Trinity College Dublin's Steve Thomas described such a right as highly empowering for the public, and Sara Burke emphasized that successive Sláintecare reports have ignored the legislative dimension.

Domhnall McGlacken-Byrne of Doctors for Universal Healthcare warned that the dual public-private hospital structure remains inefficient and unfair, noting that Ireland lacks universal primary care and many citizens still pay out-of-pocket for GP visits. He argued that the debate should shift from affordability to the cost of not providing universal care, calling for a civic, participatory approach to embed health as a human right.