General Election 2024 will take place on Friday 29th of November. Your local candidates will be knocking on your door. If you would like to help make a change in diabetes care in Ireland, ask your local candidates about diabetes. Below are some questions you might ask to highlight the needs of the diabetes community.

Latest Diabetes Service Developments

In July 2024, the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, TD, mandated the establishment of the Diabetes Policy and Services Review Group to improve outcomes, minimise health complications and ensure that services are best organised to support people living with diabetes and their families in Ireland. The group aims to submit a report to the Minister by the end of the year, including the key recommendations and a 5-year action plan.

After years of advocacy seeking improvements in diabetes care, this National Diabetes Strategy is a great opportunity to provide the right care for everyone affected by diabetes, no matter where you live. Together, we all need to make sure that the National Diabetes Strategy and Services Review will be recognised, implemented and supported by all political parties and candidates. Please ask your local candidates if they will fight to make sure the necessary steps and funding to improve diabetes care are put in place in your area.

We all need to stand together as the diabetes community and ask election candidates what they intend to do to help us achieve full implementation of the outcomes and key recommendations of the Diabetes Policy and Services Review. Above are just a few questions that you could ask along with other questions or other issues you may have in relation to your own or you child’s diabetes management.

After the election, Diabetes Ireland will of course continue to advocate on all of these areas until we see a diabetes service that can provide the quality service we deserve regardless of where we live.

See more information about gaps and challenges in diabetes care in Ireland:

Pre-Budget Submission 2024 (https://www.diabetes.ie/pre-budget-submission-2024/)

Accessing diabetes services in Ireland 2023. Diabetes Ireland Survey (https://www.diabetes.ie/accessing-diabetes-services-in-ireland-2023/)

Pre-Budget Submission 2023 (https://www.diabetes.ie/pre-budget-submission-2023)