Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)

The health budget in Ireland is different to other countries because there is a large element of social funding. It seems the Minister has not changed her tune either. She is relying again on private consultants to the tune of €100 million in terms of what will be done in the health service.

While we all understand that not all projects proceed on time, does the Minister accept that checks and balances are in place in Government Departments to ensure that money not spent on one project in a given year would be diverted to other vital projects to prevent it from being returned to the Department of Finance at the end of the year? That is the way in which Departments work. However, the Minister's wilful decision has left us in a mess and the HSE's solution, yet again, has been to establish another department and increase bureaucracy. Meanwhile, patients are desperate for care, hospitals are desperate for extra beds and primary care centres are not being delivered. All these physical facilities and services are being denied to patients due to the Minister's incompetence.

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