Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The HSE service plan for 2019 is only currently being drafted and is not finalised. As Head of the Government, I want to ensure that the extra €1 billion of taxpayers' money we are putting into the health service next year, or at least as much of it as possible, gets to the patients. That means additional home care packages, new medicine, new equipment and new buildings. I would welcome Sinn Féin's ideas as to how that €1 billion should be broken down and spent. It is not good enough for a serious Opposition party, certainly not one that wishes to be in government, to come here every week demanding more funding for all forms of health care and it all adding up to €2 billion or €3 billion. There is only so much that can be dedicated to the health service next year. There is an extra €1 billion, which is a big increase. I hope the Deputy shares my desire that priority be given to patients and that the money goes to patient care and additionality, not to paying more for the same. More of the same is not the solution for our health service. There has been an increase in spending on home care from €306 million in 2015 to €420 million, a massive increase of €120 million in three years. We are not seeing the results of that for patients. That is why we need a new system and a new way of providing home care. We believe a statutory scheme is the way to go, in line with Sláintecare, not just more of the same.

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