Frank Fahey (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

It will, as part of the HSE service planning exercise. Anywhere there is a gap or vacuum will become apparent. Those vacuums are already apparent and the intention is that the service planning will plan for the provision of the services where they are inadequate or are not provided at present.

The other part of the amendment to which the Senator referred has also been dealt with. Rather than individual health boards experiencing difficulties, under the Bill the HSE will now have direct financial provision from the Department of Finance. This will remove the discrepancies which might have existed in the past between the eight different health boards. Therefore, the HSE will provide for a unitary approach to service planning and funding which did not previously exist and with which Enable Ireland was concerned.