Not unexpectedly, the Taoiseach did not answer the question. Will 10,000 people be recruited? Are the officials telling the truth in flowery language, for want of a better phrase? These are political targets. Is the Government going to meet them or not?

No, they are not political targets.

They are targets that are given out to people as answers. In fairness, we can only take the information that is given to us.

In the Taoiseach's constituency at Cork University Hospital today, dangerous levels of overcrowding exist. I have spoken about the situation in University Hospital Limerick on more occasions in the House than I have spoken about any other matter. That situation still obtains today.

There are 532 people on trolleys in our hospitals, over 720 vacant consultant posts and 4,500 funded positions that officials in the Department of Health are saying will not be met. These are record statistics going in the wrong direction. This needs to be arrested immediately. Otherwise, we are heading into a full crisis after coming out of such a difficult period in which the health service has done so well.

Thank you, Deputy.

What is the Taoiseach going to do to ensure we get the consultant and health professional posts filled-----

The time is up, Deputy.

-----and the GPs into the system, as per the statistics he has given to many of us in this House and which he has committed to doing?

First, in terms of the transcript that was published, I was not there and do not understand the context, tone or whatever. Not all the material in it was accurate. Politicians did not set recruitment figures at all.

The Taoiseach gives the answers.

We did not set any recruitment figures.

So the Taoiseach is not giving the figures.

Will the Deputy let me answer the question? The transcript, or contributions within the transcript, suggested we did.

I will answer if the Deputy lets me answer.

The Taoiseach should be allowed to answer without interruption.

For example, the HSE came forward last year, not politicians, with a figure of 16,000. It was presented to a health committee meeting: the HSE said it would recruit 16,000 in 2021. This year, when it initially made its bid, it said it would recruit 10,000. Its HR team is now saying that, given the current labour market situation, it could be 5,500 net but it will try to trump that. Discussions are now under way between the Department of Health and the HSE in respect of utilising the funding that will not be used for the 10,000 recruitment figure on waiting list initiatives and other initiatives within the health service.

The material on mental health provision is completely wrong.

Rubbish.

The HSE looked for approximately €35 million, including €24 million for new developments and €13 million for existing level of service, ELS, provision.

The time is up.

It got €37 million. An additional €10 million was added because everybody in this House was saying we need to do something in regard to the mental health impacts of Covid-19.

Is the Taoiseach saying he is not in charge?

We responded to that and allocated a further €10 million, which should be within the capacity of the health service and the HSE to spend and distribute.

Time is up, please.

How many posts will be filled?

I just gave the Deputy the figure the HSE is saying.

You did not.

I did.

Thank you, Taoiseach. The time is up.