Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Desmond and thank him for his opening statement. Could he set out how the process works in setting the budget for the Department of Health and particularly the HSE? We have to go to the origin of this issue of Supplementary Estimates in the Department of Health, which arises frequently. The HSE makes a request of the Department of Health, which engages with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. At the end of the process when the figure is set at a certain amount, can there still be a significant difference?