Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy very much. The decision regarding the level of ELS is always a really important part of our budget negotiations. I believe that, by and large, the work we do in this regard is accurate. Where we do, of course, have ongoing challenges is to recognise it in how we fund the Department of Health overall and challenges that are there, which I know is a feature of the committee's deliberations. The level of Supplementary Estimates in recent years has been high in number and in value. The main reason for that, however, has been the array of external and unprecedented shocks we have had to deal with and the use we have made of non-core funding, which we are able to decrease when the external shock itself has passed. Of course, while we can always do better in any area of budget management policy, I believe that in the round, the strategies we have put in place have worked, have been appropriate and have been the best way of dealing with economic and health environments that have changed so much with each year that has gone by.