The facts do not bear that out. In 2002, we are providing an additional €249 million to implement priority aspects of the strategy. Other facts are that since 1997, health spending has more than doubled; that there were 67,895 people employed in health in 1997 and there will be 93,850 people employed there at the end of this year, which is an increase of 38%; that as a percentage of total Government spending, spending on health has risen from 21% to 26%, and that 55% of income tax in 1997 was spent on health and that at the end of 2001, it was 76%, while at the end of this year, 80% of all income tax will go to fund health.
I can give chapter and verse on my commitment to health during my time in office. We have now reached over and above the EU level of spending. We have a younger population than the rest of the EU without the same dependency ratios. It is as well that we had such economic success in recent years which has provided the extra resources for health because without that the health situation would be dire. If we had the same strategy as when the Deputy's leader was Minister for Finance, that is, to give no money to health, the situation would be chronic now.