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

I thank the Deputy. I gave a comprehensive reply on some of these issues earlier. However, with regard to services closing, it might be worth putting on the record of the House that data from Tusla show the number of services that have closed so far in 2023 is substantially lower than in previous years. Therefore, while there are some services closing, the number is fewer than in previous years. There are, of course, new services opening, with 48 new ones having opened between January and August of this year alone. Some existing services are expanding their number of places as well.

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