Dr. Josep Figueras:

I am sorry. I know I do not discover many things but I agree with the Chairman for whatever it is worth.

As for investing 3% in the future, I agree absolutely. We are concerned about the limited targets the European Union is imposing on member states. The semester process, however, is becoming more complex and sophisticated, not that it was not sophisticated before but it understands much better the health element, that well-being is something measurable, that productivity and a healthy population are the only way to compete in this global economy.

The first point I made to the Minister for Finance is that he can negotiate with it and demonstrate that when it understands the country's situation it may be more relaxed about the 3% and allow for a larger deficit if it is to prove that it is investing in integrated care and primary care and so on. I do not think the targets are so fixed, even at that level. There is some flexibility.

Yes, there should be an investment fund. I wish I had the time to tell the committee about the experience of the crisis. During the crisis there was rationing and there were waiting lists but at the same time we saw improvements in primary care; there was more discerning use of some cost-effective services; better use of technology; and there were huge, important necessary cuts, such as cost-effectiveness in the pharmaceutical bill. It is true there is not money for everything, and rationing and waiting lists are on the horizon. There will be a need for some private insurance for the less important elements of the package of care. I wish that was not the case but we need to do that. Before doing that, please do some more work on the 50% we talked about. There is a lot of savings to be accrued there that we can work on. There are lots of savings in the long term. Integrated care will not yield savings in the short term but in the long term it will give more help and may accrue in savings, particularly in Ireland, in the way the resources are used at hospital level. There are ways to be sustainable but some element of private insurance will be there. Let us not have it just because of its value but make sure that money comes from my pocket as a pension as well, let us use it cost-effectively and equitably if possible.

I am sure I missed a lot of points. I apologise. That is as far as I could go. Thank you very much.