Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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817. To ask the Minister for Health if there is a ring-fenced funding stream in place for older patient groups, those with chronic illness and young persons with chronic neurological conditions, for example, acquired brain injury, multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease. [54930/17]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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As recently announced by the Government, the overall health budget for 2018 is in the region of €15.5 billion, which represents an increased budget of over €600 million compared to 2017. This represents the fourth year in a row where significant additional resources have been allocated to the health services.

The Health Service Executive (HSE)’s National Service Plan for 2018, which was published on 20th December 2017, outlines the range of services that the Executive will provide over the coming year. I understand that the Executive is currently in the process of finalising detailed Operational Plans for each of its service areas and that these will include information on the funding allocations to specific services and priority areas.

As the specific issue raised by the Deputy is a service matter in the first instance for the HSE, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.