Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I am making a point that needs to be made. If we are going to have, as happens in health budgeting, demands on the service beyond what was contemplated in the service plan, arrangements have to be made at the discretion of managers at local level who can decide how best to handle the situation. Opposition Members cannot say it should be done that way today but if there is a shortage in the acute sector tomorrow say it should be done the other way. They cannot have it both ways.

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