Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

At this point, it is hard to say. My hope is that inflation will fall back down. We are, for example, hearing that energy prices may decline. My hope, therefore, is that what we have seen in Ireland and other countries around Europe, this big surge we saw this year that was not anticipated, will die down. I hope it was, in fact, a post-Covid surge that will now go back down and we will deliver the service plan on budget. That is my hope. If it is the case that the high level of demand we saw this year continues, and if these very high levels of health inflation continue, then, as I said in the Dáil after the budget, there is every possibility we will be here looking for a Supplementary Estimate.