Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

A Cabinet committee means it is composed of Cabinet Ministers. It cannot be a Cabinet committee if it just comprises one Minister and two Ministers of State. By definition, it should involve several Departments. Will the Taoiseach clarify what other Ministers and Departments are on this committee to implement the health service commitments in the programme for Government? The programme and the Fine Gael general election manifesto committed to changing completely the funding model for hospitals in the coming months. Hospitals were to lose their secure funding and move to a per capita system. This is a fundamental, substantive and radical change. It beggars belief that the Cabinet sub-committee on health has not met to consider this issue or the commitment's implementation. There is no urgency attached to the implementation-----

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