Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. I am glad there is an ambitious plan and a good plan and that he has met with the three main hospitals in the past week. However, what was reported at the weekend in the Business Postgives all these questions a different complexion. Obviously, all these questions were submitted in advance of that. I heard the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, and indeed the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte on the radio. They gave very credible accounts as to how they come up with their budgets and the work that would go into it, which I believe. However, does the Minister now have faith that when ambitious plans for this area or any other in health are put together and he provides the money, it will actually be delivered and will go into the HDUs and the staffing levels? This is not a "Gotcha" question. It is a very serious question because whatever the merits of how that article came to be, namely a secret recording and all the rest which is not great, the fact is it was presented to us. It poses very serious questions about whether what the Minister says is delivered on the ground by the HSE through the Department.

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