Dr. Sara Burke:

I might come in on this point, and then Dr. Johnston can comment as well. I have been doing more work on the regions and Dr. Johnston has been busy with palliative care policy for the last while.

If we are going to do the regions properly and allocate resources through them, I am not sure that can be done without a legislative underpinning. Clarity from the Department and the HSE is needed because that takes time. If we were to begin that now, I do not know how long it would take, but I think it is needed. I do not know how else the money could be funnelled so that they have the power to allocate it without some legislation.