Mr. Evan Coady:

For sure, Covid was an exceptional circumstance. There was a target of a 10% reduction in agency costs in 2023. The discussions on the reduction in agency and overtime expenditure are ongoing and the target for 2024 looks to be significant. The HSE’s ability to stand up a recruitment pause, slow down and achieve the recruitment numbers for which it is funded also represents an effort. All of this points to a strong foundation going into 2024. Everyone acknowledges that the position will be challenging, but there seem to be some strong plans in place to deliver savings in 2024.