Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Actually, I do not believe the HSE has the knowledge. I believe that what it has been asked to do and has tried to do is to make incremental savings, namely, to cut a bit here and there and to try to be a bit more efficient here and there. However, I do not believe the HSE has the knowledge to examine the current health care system and conclude that the manner in which health care in Ireland is delivered - which is a hospital-based system rather than a community-based system - is not the best for the patient and costs far more money than it needs to do. The Minister stated that his Department has not commissioned any report. He might know, because it is relevant to public expenditure, whether an external report has been commissioned that examines both health care delivery in Ireland and the HSE and concludes that in fact, a shed load of money can be saved by, for example, moving from acute to community-based care, while at the same time improving health care outcomes for the patient. I believe this would be a great opportunity and even if the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has not done so, is the Minister aware of any report of this kind? If not, does the Minister think there might be a great opportunity to commission one?

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