Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and his officials. The Minister went through the various reasons for needing a Supplementary Estimate. He referenced issues that are outside the control of the HSE, that is, costs that arise from third-party decisions, including pay awards. He also referred to decisions that were made subsequent to the national service plan, particularly central wage agreements and shortfalls arising from items outside the control of management such as income shortfalls and overruns. I can understand how overruns cause difficulties and there is legislation coming down the track to address the issue of periodic payments. That should address some of these matters.

I wish to focus on the shortfall arising from wage agreements.

Will this assist in funding section 38 bodies which are in as much difficulty as the HSE is because of central wage agreements? Are they expected to fund that out of cuts in services or will this Supplementary Estimate be available to those entities and organisations that find compliance with the wage agreement impossible and have to cut back services?

The provision for capital expenditure this year was €454 million. How much of that is for the children's hospital? I do not need a detailed breakdown but how much has been incurred to date or will be by the end of the year for the children's hospital?