Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

The OECD estimates that spending in Ireland on pension and health care may rise from about 8% of GDP at present to about 18% by 2030. We cannot sustain such a huge increase without basic changes in how we achieve our common goals.

I am determined to secure savings on health sector payroll and staffing numbers to provide for a greater concentration of available resources on the actual delivery of key primary and acute health care services. I want to see improvements in the operation of frontline services and an appropriate rebalancing of costs to provide a more sustainable basis for funding into the future. I will work with my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, to this end. The Government has agreed that the HSE will begin an innovative proposal to fast-track the roll-out of new GP practice units in collaboration with the private sector, while retaining full HSE control of the units. The Minister will give further details of this initiative.

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