Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The position is that there have been no cuts in any of these areas; far from it. Increased provision has been made in the 2019 budget. Compared to previous years, this has been repeated and expanded so that there is more support for home care, transitional care and the fair deal scheme. Of course, the HSE, like any other body, has to live within a certain allocation. When pressures arise, it has to try to manage those pressures as best it can. The report was that Mr. Reid was gaining information about the various pressures within the service so that he could take decisions to manage those budgets as effectively as possible in the interests of patients with care needs. That was the origin of this. It is managing within increasing budgets but it is still a pressure to do it.

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