Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Every Government of every hue monitors healthcare spending on an almost monthly basis in the run up to any budget. My message to the HSE is to deliver the service plan in full and, in parallel, to put in place greater controls in respect of individual managers. We have discussed this matter in the House. One cannot have individual managers recruiting without paying heed to the budget. In addition, they need to reduce the waste and inefficiencies in the system in accordance with the savings plans they were instructed to put in place as part of the service plan.

It is understandable that the Deputy is trying to project from now until the end of the year. It is important to note, however, that when one looks at how the savings are profiled in the HSE Vote, many of them are profiled for later in the year with those targets set out in the national service plan. At a political level I ask the HSE to come in on budget as close as possible while delivering the essential services people need.

At a political level, every day Deputies call on me to spend more on the health service, with calls for more for SIPTU workers, more for consultants and more for home care just in the past six weeks. Like my predecessors, I will try to balance the challenge between bringing the HSE in on budget - or as close to budget as possible - meeting the needs of our people and meeting the many demands this House understandably places on me in terms of improving Ireland's health service.

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