Mr. Evan Coady:

As Mr. Gloster and Mr. Watt have outlined, the savings and productivity task force is an ambitious programme. There is still a great deal of discussion to be had between us and the Department of Health about the pressures that arose in 2023 and the level at which they are permanent or temporary. Mr. Gloster and Mr. Watt also referenced the non-core funding of up to €1 billion, which is essentially provided by the Government to address the post-Covid surge in demand. With that non-core funding as well as significant core funding, the health sector now has €22.8 billion to manage services in 2024. We will engage through the processes that are in place – the health budget oversight group, or HBOG – to oversee demands throughout the year and what effects savings and productivity measures are having on the trajectory of spending in 2024.