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

Again, I believe it is important to put this budget in the context of recent spending decisions. Over the past eight years, we have seen an effective doubling of our spending within our health services. Over recent years, we have seen an increase in investment in our health services of between €6 billion and €7 billion. We have seen very significant and needed increases in funding for health services at a time when they continue to face very many demands. I will continue to work closely with the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, on the different issues he has raised.

In the context that we have this increase in investment is also the fact the budgetary process is still based on an amount of money and resources that are finite and fixed and which have to be allocated across all of government. We have seen in recent years very significant increases in funding for health, as I said, and even with the funding that has been made available, which is a further €1 billion versus where we were on budget day one year ago, that is also an increase in the allocation.

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