Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will try and take those questions in sequence. The Chairman is correct that there is not a specific transition fund in this year's Estimate and that is a fact. There are a number of areas where significant resources are being spent on Sláintecare measures, which I believe passionately in. The culture change that needs to happen, and is happening, in the HSE and the Department means that everything we need to do is in the direction of Sláintecare. I will come back to the transition fund shortly. The decisions to reduce the drugs payment scheme cap and prescription charges were taken directly from the Sláintecare report. The money for the GP contract, of which €27 million will be spent this year, is funding that was held in my Department that is in line with the Sláintecare programme. The measures that GPs are agreeing to in return in integrating with primary care, medicines management, waiting list validation, e-health and, from January, chronic disease management, are Sláintecare in action.

The Chairman referenced this but there is some degree of transition funding for the e-health and ICT areas and I will come back with a timeframe for those in a moment. That is, no doubt, classified as Sláintecare and is transition funding. I have an integration fund this year. I expect that, now that has been created as a discrete area of expenditure, we can look to increase it significantly next year. That is my aim. There is €20 million in it this year but it would be unfair to suggest that we are only spending that on Sláintecare because other elements are also clearly delivering Sláintecare.

Much work has been done. Sláintecare has begun to come alive in the past number of weeks. There is a briefing for members of the committee today with the director of the Sláintecare office. It is now up and running and 2019 is the first year of it in action.

We are preparing the HSE capital plan by engaging with both the HSE and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform now. I expect to publish the report shortly after Easter. Being blunt and honest, I am trying to arrive at a point where I publish more than just the 2019 capital plan for obvious reasons. The published 2019 capital plan will give a piece of the picture but people in every constituency will want to know if the many projects that will start in 2019 will be built in 2020. Sending projects out to design or tender is one thing but people will want to know if the Government has the money to build them in 2020 or 2021. I am endeavouring to publish a plan for two or three years hence and it is complex. If we take the Chairman's part of the country as an example, we want to show not just the modular build for University Hospital Limerick but the profiling for that funding for the next couple of years. I expect that the committee will invite me back in May to discuss the capital plan that I expect to have published by then. There is intense work going on to achieve that at the moment.

With regard to the reprofiling, the Department of Health was asked to make a €24 million contribution this year. That has come out of the minor works fund in the HSE, which replaces a piece of equipment or the like as it is required to be replaced. There is still more in that fund this year than there was last year, and we have been able to ensure that all projects that are contracted and under way are continuing. I have not had to delay a project or say something will not happen because of the national children's hospital. That is thanks to the collective work of Cabinet colleagues and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, in that regard.

Can I get you a note on the individual health identifier and the e-health record? My Secretary General is writing an updated note for me as we speak. It will be rolled out in phases but I can send you a detailed note on that.

Did I miss a question?