Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is fine, but that point had to be made. My question concerns the funding of section 39 organisations, which step in to provide supports that the State should be providing. An array of criteria is applied to that area. Some section 39 organisations get up to 95% funding, while others do not receive that amount of funding even though they may be providing as many, if not more, services. I am thinking of organisations such as the National Council for the Blind Ireland, NCBI, which gets 70% funding from the State and then must rely on fundraising for the other 30% of its income. Other section 39 organisations, however, are funded up to 90% or 95% by the State. Are there any plans to review the criteria for funding section 39 organisations? Has there been any audit of value for money in this area and whether value for money is being achieved?

An additional €4 billion was allocated to health in the budget, and we are all trying to work out the detail of what that means. It is a significant increase. Since I have been in the Oireachtas, we have been used to additional funding allocations to health of €1 billion or €2 billion in most years. Do the witnesses believe we are getting value for money now? I ask because I think most people do not believe we are. Are there any plans to-----