Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The allocation of resources for next year is not at the same level that it was at for this year or 2022. The focus is on building capacity across the system. For example, I know the Deputy and her party are signed up to the safe nurse staffing framework. That is fully funded to roll out to every ward in every hospital around the country. It is to finish rolling out; a lot of work has been done. Additional capacity is opening up with acute beds, community beds, surgical hubs and other areas. Essentially in many of the women's services, like the see-and-treat gynaecology services, we have gone from a period of rapid expansion to next year consolidating those services and essentially reviewing the services in terms of brand-new services, rapidly expanded services to make sure that we are using the allocated resources to the greatest benefit of the of the patients who need them.

See this speech in context