Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I reiterate that €115 million of this is an overhang from the previous year that must be factored in. If the Deputy wishes to use the figure of €456 million, he must accept that €115 million comes from 2018. I have already outlined how the sum of €90 million was allocated at the discretion of the Oireachtas, as Deputy Donnelly and I agreed. That leaves a figure of approximately €275 million. That is not where we want to be. I would prefer not to be before the committee looking for that additional money. However, I have to make the point that last year the comparable figure was €655 million. That was not acceptable either and two wrongs do not make a right, but we have moved significantly. It is not possible due to a range of pressures such as central wage agreements, pensions issues such as changes to pension-related deduction, PRD scales, the cost of drugs and medicines that become available at any one time-----