Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am trying to be helpful to the Minister by highlighting the deficiencies in the HSE service plan and the inadequate budget provided to him by the Government for health care in our acute hospitals system. This is primarily about the acute hospitals system itself. An additional €118 million is being made available to deal with the Lansdowne Road agreement and demographics. They are costs that should always be factored into the HSE service plan. For a number of years, the demographics were not being factored in. I accept that. However, in the context of new and additional treatments, procedures and service expansion beyond the demographic assessment, only €9 million is there. That will not deal with anything other than that which has already been assessed as going to come through the doors of hospitals due to demographic pressures. That is the reality. All that the Minister is providing for additional services above and beyond the demographics and the Lansdowne Road obligation is €9 million.

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