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

I will deal with the primary care reimbursement service, PCRS, first and long-term care after that.

On PCRS, we are estimating the budget will be much the same, going slightly down from €2.5 billion to €2.485 billion. That factors in the saving from the drug companies as well as the fact that fewer people are eligible for medical cards because of the improving economy. The number of medical cards decreased in 2014, even though the number of discretionary cards rose, as more people were at work and the incomes of those in the private sector rose. PCRS is demand-led. The Deputy is correct to point out that Soliris will have to be funded from that. If it is the case that more medical cards are issued or more medicine is needed than we thought, that subhead will overrun. That is a risk every year. Certain elements in the health budget are demand-led. People have a legal entitlement to medical cards under certain circumstances and doctors prescribe medicines and we cannot control that exactly. There is always a risk of an overrun on the demand-led schemes. That would be the obvious risk for this subhead.