Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The question the Deputy put in written format is a little different from the questions she is putting to me now. I want to answer them all in the interests of transparency for the Dáil. I will first deal with the questions the Deputy has just put to me. Do I accept that it is very difficult for our hospitals and the HSE to influence the level of demand for health services in the short term? Yes, I do. Across the medium term, it is possible to influence that level of demand through measures we take to improve the health of our country, through the use of medicines and through decisions on where our patients are treated. Do I accept that the impact of inflation on the delivery of services cannot be controlled? It is possible to have a degree of control over that through decisions made in respect of procurement and how we manage the impact of rising costs. All other Government Departments are experiencing the impact of inflation in the decisions they have to make and in the funding of their services. While the challenge of inflation has some particular health dimensions, it is also something that all elements of our public service face at the moment.

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