The leading opposition party in Ireland has published an alternative Budget 2023 plan, to cut waiting lists and improve healthcare.

It would see an extra €1.1 billion go into the health system next year.

Sinn Fein is currently leading the polls at 36% in a trend it has held for a long period of time, far ahead of the current individual Government parties.

Its ‘Funding Fairer Healthcare’ plan comes just before the Budget is published on September 27 next.

The plan says that waiting lists have spiralled out of control, with over 910,000 people on some hospital waiting list.

On top of that, it says there are a further 219,300 people waiting for an acute diagnostic test.

The plan shows that since December last year, hospital waiting lists have increased by a net 30,796 patients.

There have also been over 74,000 scheduled operations cancelled between February and June this year.

The HSE target is that there should be no longer than a 12 week wait for an inpatient treatment, 10 weeks for an outpatient appointment and 10 days for a diagnostic test.

The Sinn Fein plan includes opening 500 extra acute inpatient beds by the end of next year.

It would also see an extra 37 critical care beds opened and money to expand surgical theatre capacity and public diagnostic capacity.

The plan also promises to increase the clinical workforce, so that the staff are there to do the extra operations promised.

This is a very detailed and fully-costed document and many of the statistics are based on parliamentary questions, or data supplied by the Department of Health.