Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am quite taken aback that the CEO of the HSE wrote to the Minister about what was about to be agreed at budget and the Minister, we are told, with commentary, passed that on and that Mr. Moloney, as Secretary General of the Department, was not aware of the views of the CEO who was asked to implement this budget. The CEO made it very clear that this deficit is, in the main, recurring, that this is underfunding and that if an attempt is made to bring this in line, it would have significant and punitive risk to the public. In some cases risk to the public in the health service means deaths and people not being treated in time. It is significant and punitive. It is imperative that the Government is in no doubt about the position. I just do not understand how Mr. Moloney would have been unaware of that position before he signed off on the budget.