Call for Government to act in Budget 2026
We are today calling for urgent action in Budget 2026 to tackle the affordability crisis hitting people with asthma. Our new survey of 623 asthma patients (or their parents) has revealed that nearly 1 in 4 people (24%) with asthma have had to go without medication in the last three months due to cost pressures. Over half (56%) of respondents are struggling to make ends meet, with 1 in 4 (25%) falling behind on essential household bills.
Included in our 2026 Pre-Budget Submission, Backing Every Breath, Building Better Care, are calls for:
- Subsidised asthma medication, prioritising combination and preventer inhalers.
- Expanded asthma care services and staffing, including a National Severe Asthma Registry and specialist nurse recruitment.
- Targeted energy upgrades for homes of people with asthma, to improve indoor air quality.
“Asthma imposes a heavy financial burden, with some medications costing up to €80 a month” said Eilís Ní Chaithnía, CEO of the Asthma Society. “With a combination of targeted investment and taxation measures, we can bring asthma under control, reduce exacerbations, hospitalisations and preventable deaths, and improve quality of life for hundreds of thousands of people in Ireland. But it will also require political will.”
With 96% of survey respondents calling for Government action, we are urging a phased approach to universal medication subsidisation and major investment in asthma services.
Prof. Marcus Butler, Medical Director, highlighted why subsidisation of asthma medications was particularly important: “Combination inhalers are considered the gold standard in asthma treatment for most asthma patients. They are proven to be extremely effective in controlling asthma and reducing symptoms which, of course, has a positive knock-on effect for the patient and the healthcare system. Combination inhalers, however, are expensive which can be prohibitive to patients, as our survey suggests.”
Emily Smyth was diagnosed with severe asthma in her early 20s. She believes that patients have enough to cope with, without adding the unnecessary worry of not being able to afford medication:
“Medications enable us to manage symptoms and to live our lives. That’s why it’s so vital that the cost of treatment be addressed. I’m also passionate about the need for specialist care for asthma. I’m extremely lucky to be under the wing of a severe asthma clinic team and the care that I have received has been truly incredible and has transformed my asthma management. However, access should not depend on where you live or be a ‘postcode lottery’. Expanding specialist and diagnostic care would significantly improve the lives of people with asthma.”
