Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Is the Minister saying that if these targets are not met, his Department will come in and meet the shortfall? I do not think he is. That is not realistic and I do not think the hospitals believe it is realistic. I specifically asked the Minister where the cuts will be made because when the unrealistic targets - to use the term these people used - are not met, as they very well might not be, for example, if too few people buy a cup of tea in the canteen, how will the services survive? Is it simply a case of saying it is fine and giving them money when they do not meet the targets or will there be a penalty? If there is a penalty, how will that manifest itself in the event that they simply cannot reach the targets that they, not I, described as unrealistic?

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