Mr. Tony O'Brien:

It is important to note that the employment control framework for the health sector envisages and requires a reduction from the current staffing level of approximately 103,000 to a level close to 95,000. In that context, we have an obligation to consider which services must be provided by directly employed staff and which services might be better provided in other ways. When I said we were not committed to this change, that is exactly what I meant. We are committed to using the resources available to us as best we can to provide the very best health services we can. That involves examining whether ancillary or back office activities might be better provided using a different mechanism, where it is more appropriate and where the national agreements provide for it to happen.