Health service recruitment freeze
Mary Lou McDonald said extra health funding showed the Government had underfunded the service and asked if the recruitment freeze would end. The Taoiseach explained the supplementary budget mechanics, denied any carry-over, and McDonald challenged him again about the embargo.
In the budget announced a few short weeks ago, the Taoiseach deliberately decided to underfund the health service. Despite the system creaking at the seams, he stated that there was no issue at all. In fact, he denied having underfunded things.
Now it seems the Government has done a U-turn on that matter and a further €1 billion will be allocated to the HSE. This is an admission that the Government has got it wrong. Does this additional funding mean the Government will end the disastrous recruitment freeze in the health service?
Comment on this
I am happy to clarify this. What was agreed by Cabinet today is a supplementary budget for health of about €1 billion for this year. The budget relates to next year. The way it works is we have a budget in October, then a Revised Estimates Volume in December and there can be Supplementary Estimates but the Supplementary Estimates are for the existing year, not the following year. That is what the budget does.
Comment on this
The Government is carrying over €500 million to next year.
Comment on this
What about the recruitment embargo?