Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

While this will be a challenging year, we expect that the Minister's philosophy of cutting costs but not front-line services will continue to be effective in the interests of patient outcomes, which is the most important element of any health service. Outcomes and the opportunities for patients to have the best level of service as close to home as possible are our focus. In the service plan for 2014 there are a number of new and important initiatives. A sum of €1.48 million has been provided to deliver patient-centred improvements in maternity care, which was raised in this House previously. There is an extra €8.3 million for the cancer area and an additional €2.92 million for organ donation and transplantation services. I had discussions with some well known people recently about the importance of the latter. A sum of €35 million has been provided for an additional 60,000 medical cards in 2014, while €37 million has been provided for free GP services for children under six. An additional €14 million has been provided to address priority needs in the disability area and €20 million has been ring-fenced for the recruitment of mental health staff.

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