Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The ceilings have been set for 2017 and will not be breached. Despite Ministers may be considering putting in claims looking for money because of Brexit and every other challenge we have, it will simply will not be there because we will breach all of the European regulations to which we signed up. We do not want to go back to where we were.

As regards Deputy Micheál Martin's point about the private sector assisting in the mental health sector, I will have the Minister reflect on that.

Deputy Mick Barry raised the issue of hospital beds. The list from the special delivery unit is there were 387 cases of patients on trolleys at 8 o'clock this morning, not 464. Obviously, the Deputy may have a different method of counting. Cork University Hospital had 25 cases this morning on this list. There is an increasing ageing population with growing demographic pressures.

Deputy Gerry Adams asked about the Dignam report. The Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, is working on it. We have committed to a commission in respect of that particularly situation in the south east. I will have the Minister of State report to the House on that, as well as the reports to be published on this.

I do not have the details of the case concerning Crumlin hospital raised by Deputy Joan Burton. Obviously, these are all difficult cases. I have one case from Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett in respect of a home care package. I will have the Minister contact the Deputy's office about the case.

The Ministers of State dealing with health, as Deputy Joan Burton will be aware from experience, Deputies Helen McEntee, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, Catherine Byrne and Finian McGrath, are all doing specific jobs-----

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