Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The overall health budget is €13 billion. The amount we are talking about to balance the budget is very small in comparison. It is a budget that can be very variable. One cannot predict at the start of the year the demands on the budget by the end of the year. Is Senator MacSharry suggesting that we close down two or three hospitals to make up the budget? We have to provide a health service and that is what the Minister is doing very well. He has made services far more efficient, getting better value for the taxpayer.