Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 286: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the services, in view of a cap on over-run of budget spend in 2008, which will be adversely affected, in view of the fact that there is less money in 2008 than 2007; the services which will be subject to cutbacks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3615/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Post Budget gross provision ( both current and capital expenditure) for the Health Services Executive for 2008 is €14,931 million. When the provision for the Health (Repayments Scheme) Act is excluded the increase in 2008 is over €1.1 billion or almost 9%. The HSE has received very substantial additional resources from the Exchequer in the three years since its establishment. The revenue funding for the health services in 2004 was €9.8 billion. The revenue (non-capital) funding provided to the HSE for service delivery in 2007 was €13 billion — an increase of €3.2 billion in three years or 10% a year.

It is not the case that funds are issued to the health services by Government in the full knowledge that they were not sufficient to meet the cost of planned services. Each year, the Government decides what level of funding should be made available to the HSE following consideration by the Minister for Finance of the expenditure proposals submitted by all Ministers across the full range of expenditure areas. In the case of health, information and views provided by the HSE are taken into account, as well as my own priorities as the Minister for Health and Children in relation to service developments.

Once the Vote has been determined, it is a matter for the HSE to develop a national service plan within this budget which reflects these priorities. It has to plan and arrange, as necessary, its service/activity levels to meet the obligation on it to provide the most effective services possible within approved resources.

As the Deputy will be aware, revised and improved service planning and expenditure management arrangements are being put in place this year by the HSE.