Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday, the House debated our intention to effect a ten-year plan for the health system. For a long time, we have been playing catch-up and going from year to year. As Deputy Kelleher rightly pointed out, of most importance is preventing people from reaching the stage at which they need to attend emergency departments at two, three or four times the cost to the State of providing a service at home. The financing that has been available to us in recent years has not met the increasing level of demand. If we can increase funding where it is needed as soon as possible, prevention will be better than cure. That is our commitment to the Deputy.

See this speech in context