Mr. David Moloney:

In its evidence to the health committee, the health sector has demonstrated a commitment to improved budget management, which is absolutely necessary in order to rein in health spending to be more in line with the parameters set by the Government. On the other hand, as I said, we are very conscious that the health sector still faces pandemic legacy challenges in the current context. We are very conscious that over the past number of years it has not operated on a business-as-usual basis in the context of the pandemic and, therefore, there is a sense in which robust financial management and budgetary systems need to be re-established. Perhaps in the crisis of Covid these were not foremost. It is a question of re-establishing budgetary management in the health sector. There is a commitment to that, among other things.