Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach gave a great rundown of the HSE's proposals for next year but the HSE will still be €420 million short of addressing what it calls demographic, technological and other pressures. Even with what the Government is doing, we will still be here next year talking about a deficit in the HSE.

Why did we not get the service plan before budget 2020 so that we could see what it was intended to do? The reality is that we will still be in crisis early in the new year, as the winter bug hits, and right throughout next year. While the Taoiseach says there will be extra funding, the Cleary Centre will still not have a new building. Seaview House respite home, Lifford hospital, iCARE and the Bluestacks centre will still be looking for funding. St. Joseph's in Stranorlar and all those other hospitals right across Donegal will all be in need because of the Government's inaction and its lack of recognition of the fact that health services need more than just money and highlighting the extra money the Government is spending on health.

See this speech in context