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

I thank the Deputies for raising this important issue. I assure them that the Government's objective is to make sure that St. Joseph's Shankill stays open, that the services are protected and are made sustainable into the future. Both the HSE and the NTPF are engaging with St. John of God community services on that matter. It is important and valid to put on the record that funding per patient for this service is well above the average in Dublin and it is, indeed, one of the best funded services per head in the country. There may well be good and legitimate reasons for that, but it needs to be examined properly. If we pay too much in one area, other people will lose their service in another area and we cannot have that.

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