Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have a realistic budget in place. The Vote for 2015 represents the first increase in funding in seven years and a greater increase than was proposed by the Deputy's party in its alternative budget submission last November. The figures we have for January show spending is in line with projections. In other words, there is no evidence at this stage of any significant overspend. There are, of course, issues with delayed discharges. That figure is down since the start of the year but it remains a problem. We also have difficulties with waiting times and overcrowding in emergency departments. We need additional resources for the fair deal scheme, home care packages and home help provision.

As the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, and Mr. Tony O'Brien have outlined, there are three options for achieving these objectives. We could opt to reprioritise spending within the health Vote or we could bring forward a spending plan later in the year. The third option, pretending the problem will somehow go away in the summer, is not really an option. That is a total nonsense and fewer and fewer people believe it. When it comes to a decision on the three options, it is not one I can make on my own; it must be done in conjunction with the Cabinet committee on health and the Economic Management Council. All members of the Cabinet committee and the EMC are fully apprised of the situation and have been since November.

See this speech in context