Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Barrett has put his finger on an issue that has been around for a very long time. This matter has been considered on many occasions by the Cabinet subcommittee dealing with health. The Deputy will find endless reasons for expenditure increases. One of the issues being addressed by the Minister, Deputy Harris, with the co-operation of members of various parties, is to put in place a ten year strategy.

It will remove a lot of the politics from health and will enable us to decide which areas of the country should be providing which services. We are building primary care centres in many places around the country and these are being designed and built for a purpose, namely, to save people from having to go to hospital in the first place and yet it is as if it never happened. This is an issue that needs to be addressed. I will give the Deputy the information I have on overexpenditure but without setting up a committee at this moment. Maybe we will return to the matter again.

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