Declan Breathnach (Louth, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am reminded of Brian Cowen's description of the Department of Health as being a bit like Angola. Things are still not good in the state of Angola. There is a budget of €17.107 billion with an 11.6% increase on the budget of 2018. How does the HSE's current budget position compare to its position at the same point last year? We have been informed that it is currently running at 6.8% over budget and that there could be a deficit of up to €150 million by the end of the year. How is the HSE going to plug that hole? Is the figure correct or is the overrun anticipated to be even greater?

I am particularly interested in the issue of the budgetary oversight group. There was reference to positive steps to ensure better management and health expenditure. Can Mr. Mulvany talk us through how these work? He has just referred to homecare packages not being provided and to living within the budget. I will be raising a Topical Issues matter within the next half hour on callous cuts that have already been implemented. Are those cuts being suggested by the budgetary oversight group? I refer to a proposal to close a disability service for respite and holidays serving up to 50 clients in the north east later this year. Does this group make such decisions and how are they made? As with the homecare packages, it is the vulnerable and disabled who are being impacted. Assuming these contingencies are in place for expenditure that is higher than anticipated, how will the cuts be decided? Is information available to elected representatives, local and national, or will the cuts just be foisted upon communities? I understand the constraints the HSE is under but if it cannot live within its budget, why should we be discussing new services? Politically, we should not even be suggesting them if we cannot deliver to the most vulnerable in our society.