Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

If we are going to answer questions about this issue, it is important that we deal with reality rather than with perceptions. It is not the case that the HSE had a sum of capital funding available, intended for all kinds of capital projects, which it decided to switch over to spend on salaries, wages or other current expenditure, such as the items mentioned by Deputy Bruton earlier when he referred to home helps and medical cards. Both are examples of current rather than capital expenditure. The HSE did not do that. Its position is that, as of 17 January, it appears as though it has a €57 million underspend on the capital side and an overspend of €53 million on the revenue side. If that is the case, it will only be able to offset one against the other subject to the permission of the Department of Finance. If that permission is not forthcoming, I will come before the House with a Supplementary Estimate for the overrun on the revenue side. The HSE has not done that. It has simply totted up both sides and given its position. However, it did not use money identified for capital expenditure on the revenue side.

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