Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. This is not about catchment areas, rather it is about the making of a small investment in a regional hospital, which would save multiples of that invested in the future. It is also about budgeting within the HSE. Investment of a small amount of money now will result in large savings in the years to come. I believe the Government should be able to make this decision in the context of budget 2013. The Government needs to provide this funding which will ensure easy accessibility of services for people and will result in long term health benefits. It would also contribute to a reduction of €1.1 billion in the cost of treatment of obesity, which issue was mentioned by the Taoiseach in his reply. These small investments need to be made to ensure services are provided and savings are achieved. In a budgetary context, this is what should be important and should be the consideration.

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