Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

For years the Vote for the Department of Health went through the House in the normal way. By July or August every year, health boards and the Health Service Executive ran out of money for some services. Consequently, hospital wards were closed, expensive medical equipment lay idle and trained personnel did not have an opportunity to give of their best. That is why the Minister for Health has set out to change the direction, nature and structure of the way health services are delivered. In the past three weeks, he had to investigate why €100 million in funding for a detailed purpose went in a different direction.

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