Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes, it is noted.

In response to a few of the questions raised, certainly by Deputy Ó Caoláin, no overspends will be carried into 2015. The HSE will start with a clean slate in 2015. There are some deficits in the voluntary hospitals that they carry forward from year to year but that is a somewhat different matter.

It is acknowledged that the matter is not going to go away and has been worked into the base for next year. The areas above the €510 million figure relate to State claims, the timing of income coming in and so on and were not readily predictable.

Any budget, particularly one this big, has upside and downside risks. On the upside, we might do better in terms of income from health insurers. We might do better in terms of drug savings. The economic recovery may mean that fewer people are dependent on State schemes. Also, with the number of people with private health insurance starting to increase again, we might see the demands increasing by less than they did in previous years.

On the other hand, there are downside risks. Potentially, demand will continue to rise. With an inward migration, a rising population and an aging population we may see demand rise again next year. State claims are very unpredictable. It comes down to when court cases are heard and what awards are made by the courts. Therefore, it is hard to predict how much will arise in State claims.