Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Surely the Minister of State can predict the cost of looking after that variability? That is the issue. Each year, the prediction of that variability is off by €600 million or €700 million. We are spending as much money as the average country in the OECD on health but we are getting substantially poorer outcomes. Continuing to do what we are doing, as I said before, is not giving better results. The change that I am trying to get out of the Minister of State, or the idea I am trying to feed him, is that there are efficiencies to be gained by integrating our services. Our services are not integrated and, because of that, there is a lack of efficiency and value for money. Sláintecare is proposing a huge level of integration. The first part is integrating hospital groups and community healthcare organisations into a single budget. That would drive efficiencies in hospital admissions and discharges in transferring care to the community. Can the Minister of State state that this move will take place in the coming year to bring about that change in efficiency? We can keep throwing money at the health system but, if it is inefficient, it will not deliver value for money. The only way to deliver value for money is to have integrated services which, by definition, will bring efficiency. Perhaps the Minister of State might comment on that.