Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I cannot speak for why the Department of public expenditure and reform does not accept it. I can tell the Deputy that my officials and the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service, IGEES, team, which all of us and those across the Civil Service accept is a serious analytical team in several Departments, produced detailed and solid economic analyses which backed up the inflation figures we provided.

If I may say, the Deputy's question is excellent. It is a matter we have to resolve. This is cyclical. I had these conversations with my predecessor, the former Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, when I was sitting where Deputy Cullinane is sitting. He is now having these conversations with me. Who knows, he may be sitting in my seat and having the same conversation in the years to come. It is not helpful. I have commissioned a future of healthcare study. We will be bringing in independent experts. We will invite representatives of the Department for public expenditure and reform to contribute to the study.

It has to be a joint Department of Health and Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, endeavour. If we can, we need to set a commonly agreed baseline.