Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

We have made it clear. The HSE has put procedures in place — I am sure we will discuss this in the morning at the Joint Committee on Health and Children — to ensure that moneys identified for mental health, A Vision for Change and disabilities are spent in those areas.

The employment ceiling is obviously important. Some 80% of HSE spending is on staff and, using full-time and wholetime equivalents, it employs 112,000 people directly or indirectly through the voluntary hospitals, which is a considerable resource. Last year, it employed an extra 4,000 people approximately and this year it will employ more people, but this will be justifiable in the delivery of new services.

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