Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Martin for his question. While we must work together in the interests of the country, Deputy Martin knows well the difficulties often encountered in health and that, as history has shown, throwing money at a problem is not the answer. The Government is being criticised for making an adjustment to the health budget of more than €400 million and a further adjustment to the justice budget. We are in a position to do this because of the strengthening of the economy and growth in the economy. One of the lessons we have learned in the recent past is that, where possible, we should spend money from that growth on areas of social need and, in this case, health need. The extra allocation in terms of the adjusted Estimates, in respect of health in particular, is to deal with inadequacies, over-expenditure and much-needed investment in particular sectors. The Minister's top priority is immediate address of some of these problems within 100 days. Today's announcement confirms provision of additional funding for a winter initiative, about which the Minister has spoken, to help address overcrowding in emergency departments, which is always a cause of stress for people. As an integral part of that particular initiative the Minister will increase resources for home care services, including home help packages and so on.

The Minister, in conjunction with the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, will utilise the Revised Estimate to restore the full ring-fenced mental health budget and provide more training to school-leavers with disabilities, which are two important and sensitive areas raised occasionally by many people. Both Ministers will outline the detail of how that extra allocation will be spent to ensure delivery of services for people in those areas. Also, the Government made clear this morning that this is not a case of throwing money at the problem as demand and expenditure continues to rise and expecting to continue as before. The Government expects senior HSE personnel to be personally responsible for the management of their budgets and to ensure additional resources provided because of the strengthening economy are used to best effect in the interests of the patient they are supposed to serve. We have demanded a different range of governance and better accountability from the HSE and so health service management will be responsible for performance of their budgets, including any additional resources. It is in the acute hospitals that the Government sees the real possibility of greater returns. It is hoped that these additional allocations will benefit the people they are intended to benefit, namely, patients.

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