Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

I am explaining there is a finite amount of money which the Minister for Finance can allocate across Departments. The line Ministers discuss this with the Minister for Finance and this is how the budget is agreed for health, education or whatever it might be.

The Deputy's colleague, Deputy Bruton, has been lecturing us about slicing off 2% for value for money initiatives across the public service and this year we expect the HSE to achieve value for money initiatives. In the first two months of this year, there has been an increase of 7.6% in the number of inpatients discharged and day cases, and a total of more than 14,000 extra people being treated in our hospitals in the first two months of 2008, as against the first two months of 2007. This is an increase in activity.

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