Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree that they add to the base. We have done it quite differently this year. Last year, the winter plan cost €30 million. This year, it is €600 million. We are doing things at a completely different scale. In fairness, what we designed with the HSE was a winter plan. So far, it is working. The trolley numbers are at 30% of what they were last year but presentations are still at 90%. We are entering into the biggest pinch point, now through the end of December, but so far it is working.

We have not entirely designed it as a once-off winter plan. We have said that there is €600 million for the winter plan. I am looking for the permission of Deputies for €200 million of this for the current year. In next year's base, there is €400 million for January, February, March and April of next year. Essentially, what we are doing with the rest of the budget for next year is saying that this is permanent now. I refer to the extra beds, critical care beds, ward beds, community beds, community assessment hubs and the extra staff that we are hiring. We have designed the budget to bring capacity up for the winter really quickly but then lock it in as permanent capacity. IFAC is correct that many of the commitments for the winter plan are permanent funding commitments.