Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I regret the Senator's disappointment but the HSE's service plan is in the gift of the HSE and has not yet been passed back to Government. It is up to the HSE as the Minister does not write the service plan. It must examine all areas and divide up its budget and present it to the Minister, which I expect will happen by the end of the month.

In the interim, I cannot start part-writing it nor make part-commitments on the floor of the House, which might box in the HSE. We must wait and see what the HSE will decide. While I had numerous discussions with the HSE before its preparation about what I would like to see in it, it must revert with its plans and, therefore, I will not prescribe anything here. It is not within my gift to do so until the service plan is presented to me at the end of the month when I will be in a position to comment further.