Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Most of these questions would be more appropriately directed to the Minister for Health, because an enormous reform agenda is under way. This is because the structure that was put in place, which basically built the superstructure of the HSE on top of the old health boards, simply has not worked and has been extraordinarily top-heavy and to disentangle it involves a huge body of work. Were the Deputy to ask me for my personal view, there is an enormous amount of focus on structural change and the Deputy has suggested further structural change. However, I believe we must do what we were doing particularly well. There is a move from acute care to a greater focus on primary care and the Government is providing the resources for that. However, I will provide specific figures to the Deputy and might forward them to him in writing, rather than expecting him to take them down now. For clarity, total HSE expenditure fell by €19 million between 2011 and 2013. In 2011, it was €13.903 billion and at the end of 2013, it was €13.884 billion.

See this speech in context