Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have a question in the context of this week's newspaper reports on dietary requirements and the procurement of foods within the Health Service Executive and hospitals. Having worked in a hospital as a porter while going to college, I am aware of the dietary requirements and the types of meals being provided. Are we driven by cost, nutrition or a combination of both? Apart from patients' dietary requirements, what is the overriding philosophy on the meals provided to them in hospitals?