Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

We have seen that the HSE winter plan outlined significant additional spending over the next six months. I am interested in the view being taken on the pressure that health expenditure will bring to bear on the budget and how we are managing that in a dynamic situation where this could be a long-term pressure on the budget. By the very nature of the sudden onset of Covid-19, we have had to expend vast quantities on money without the level of oversight or scrutiny we might otherwise have had.

One of the areas the budgetary oversight committee will be considering more generally in the coming months concerns how to track the level of services being provided in terms of public expenditure. I am interested in hearing what measures are being implemented to audit the return on the expenditure and manage its changing nature. Does the Minister envisage supplementary budgets? What will be the impact on his view on the budget and expenditure in the long run?