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

I do not know if funding was made available in the past or whether it was spent. If it was made available, I have not been so informed but it may have been some time ago.

The recruitment embargo no longer exists and some 4,000 staff were hired in the health service in the past year. We are not back to where we were but we are not far off it. At the rate we are going, we will be there in the next year or two. It is acknowledged that the heart failure clinic in CUH established in 2008 is very limited. It was established using existing resources and operates from the rapid access chest pain clinic in the Cardiac Renal Centre. I am told that between ten and 15 follow-up heart failure patients are reviewed each week.

As is always the case, health care always faces competing demands. The next Topical Issue concerns funding for stroke rehabilitation and the one after it concerns approving a medicine for a particular type of cystic fibrosis. It is never a case of whether to do something or not but rather opportunity cost and prioritisation. In the context of the budget for that particular region, it will be up to the hospital group to assess all of its different needs and priorities across the region, prioritise them and work out which ones will be done first. I have no doubt that all these things will be done in time but everything cannot be done now. I only wish it was so.

I acknowledge Deputy Stanton's particular interest in this issue. He has spoken to me about it privately on other occasions. I am sure it will be done but I cannot say exactly when. I return the compliment and wish him the best for the Christmas and new year break.

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