We need two major care divisions — not a return to the health boards

IF YOU want to see where the HSE gets its money from, it’s all there in the book of estimates. You can find it easily enough on the web — just click on www.finance.gov.ie, and look under ‘Financial and Economic Information’.

In the wink of an eye you should be able to download the entire book of estimates and there is all the information you need about the HSE, from page 189 to 196. Loads of big figures, as you’d expect, and all the transparency in the world.

Or is there? In fact, if you turn to the next page, 197, you’ll find an appendix. I’ve been looking at books of estimates for 25 years now and I’ve never seen an appendix like this one before.