Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I can confirm that the efficiency saving will not be applied. This is not about the 1% saving that the cut would represent. The funding to health services as a result of the pandemic is now multiples of that provided in the original health Estimate. Additional billions in funding will be going to health services in general. That cut will not be applied.

More importantly, there must be validation of the business cases that service providers are making for the reopening of services. I do not have a specific overall fund governing that. This works both ways and some savings must have been realised because services have been closed for five months. I will not a meal out of that point but it must be acknowledged.

There is engagement between the Health Service Executive and the service providers. The overarching position of the Government is that we want these services to reopen for the 19,000 people affected. We need precision and a concrete set of proposals to allow that to happen, similar to what has transpired in education where proposals have been particularly comprehensive. I have been told that the vast majority of service providers will resume in August and the HSE has not been told by anybody that they will not be resuming services in August. I am not taking what I have been told so far as read and will seek further clarification. I am obviously probing more and want to see definite plans on this matter. Realistic costings will follow the provision of definite plans.

See this speech in context