Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to discuss another subject but I will return to the most prominent issues again. I ask the Minister to shed some light on the full extent of staffing levels in the public health sector and the extent to which an embargo, which has been suggested, is likely to affect staffing levels.

I have put that question repeatedly to numerous Governmentsm, but, for some unknown reason, it does not seem to be possible to identify precisely the extent of an overrun until the time comes when drastic measures have to be taken, either by cutting services or increasing the budget.