Mr. Paul Reid:

No. I feel the need to be clear about this. There are no cuts planned in terms of budget and delivery this year. We plan to deliver the actual services set out in the national services plan and to outturn with the budget we have been allocated. I feel the need to say that because I know there is a perception. No cuts are planned. It is setting out to deliver against the budget we have been allocated. In doing that, we want to ensure this is the right approach from a patient perspective and for those who use our services whereby we are directing our funds to where they are needed. That is an approach we have been going on. On the Deputy's specific question on the monthly profiles and accounts, it is nothing hugely new in terms of what we are setting out to do. However, we are breaking down the budget by each hospital group and hospital manager, by each community organisation, etc., and setting out the profile for the year end so that everyone has clear oversight. It is so that we can be more predictable about the outturn and, equally, from a patient perspective that we are injecting the funds and directing them into patient-focused areas. I will look at other areas of budget that are not patient focused where we can make savings and direct those to where we have the big pressure points. My perspective on controls is that it is good financial management on this one. It is right for the public and for the patients who use our services. They will benefit from it. It will give us a level of predictability and it will give me a case, as Director General of the HSE, to make to Government on where we want to invest for the future as set out in Sláintecare. I want us to strengthen financial predictability in the HSE, determine the forecasted future investment needed and to ensure future investment when we succeed in getting it is directed into a new way of delivering services. That involves the monthly controls and the focus we are putting in.

I have to say again for the record that I have had great engagement with all the hospital groups and managers. Everyone wants us to get to a position where we have predictability. Everyone wants us to be in a position to demonstrate we can do that. We have great support.