Over €81 million will be spent on expanding and developing health services next year.
The HSE has unveiled its 2017 National Service Plan today, which includes details of additional services in Tipperary that should progress next year.
The HSE is getting the biggest health budget in the history of the state at almost €14 billion – an increase of €458 million over this year.
The extra money will be used to fund acute hospitals, the ambulance service; cutting prescription charges for over 70's with a medical card and providing an automatic medical card for all children in receipt of the domiciliary care allowance.
€81.3 million is to enhance or expand existing services and to commence new developments in 2017.
Included in the service plan is a list of capital projects that should be completed this year or next year and be fully operational by 2018 at the latest
Borrisokane's extension of its primary care facility is scheduled to be finished by June next, and open by the third quarter of the year.
Another Primary Care Centre, in Tipperary town, has been finished and should be open by March
The extension of the radiology department at South Tipp General is completed and is scheduled to be operational by the end of the first quarter of 2017 while at Nenagh General Hospital, a ward extension and refurbishment, which will create an additional three beds is scheduled for project completion by the end of September.
The scheme, which is part funded by the Friends of Nenagh Hospital, consists of 16 single rooms and 4 double rooms and is costing almost €5 million.
Meanwhile, the HSE will hold recruitment days at the end of this month to try and attract nurses and midwives who have returned home for Christmas to fill vacancies in hospitals.
Health Minister Simon Harris says the expanding population is using up most of the money available to the HSE.
