Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The 10% increase in the assessment threshold for GP visit cards was implemented at the start of April. The budget for this would have been held back as a reserve in my Department. I say that from memory. If my account is inaccurate, I will send a note to the Deputy.

My position is to allow the new CEO, Mr. Reid, who has only been in the office for a few weeks, and the new board, which has only been in office since Friday, to do their own due diligence regarding the actions the HSE can take. I have been very clear in my message to Mr. Reid and the board that we expect them to deliver everything in the service plan. It is not about cutbacks or doing less. It is about delivering all of the extra activity and all of the additional staff under the service plan; it is not about doing things that are not costed. There are already some things that we in this House have asked the HSE to do that are not costed, such as continuing Brexit planning, the CervicalCheck ex gratiascheme and the recent nursing agreement, which the Deputy supported. There are ongoing discussions with trade unions and I have seen the Deputy on the picket line in support of that.

I do not believe that a contingency has ever been held back in respect of the HSE but I will check this. I do not have a more up-to-date figure. The figure I have just given is the most up-to-date available. It is probably even more up to date than the figure previously presented by the HSE.

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