John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

IFAC's business is budgets, figures, projections and all of that. If IFAC cannot get a handle on the figures in health that would allow the council to be confident about making a projection in respect of the budget, how can the Department do it? Is it a guesstimate? Is it a wild guesstimate? Mr. Barnes is concerned about the impact of the type of spend on the whole budget process. How does the Department reach a decision that it will provide an additional €1 billion this year? Does the Department measure outcomes? What does it measure to come to that figure?