Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will begin with the matter on which the Deputy concluded. I will not comment on the details of the two individual cases that were agreed overnight. However, I want to be very clear to the House that the Government will vigorously defend our case regarding consultant contracts over the coming period. As we move into the period of defending our case in this regard, the Department of Health, the Department of Finance and my Department will be parties to that case and we will vigorously defend our views and our legal case regarding this matter.

Regarding the two other areas the Deputy has raised with me, I have outlined a process whereby throughout the year I will identify this funding and I will be accountable to him and to the House in that regard. The other challenge I face is that if I had not made this agreement, I could have faced far greater uncertainty in the public finances for 2016.

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