Leo Varadkar says some of the funding for mental health services this year will be moved to other areas but will be transferred back in 2017.
The Health Minister says the money which was earmarked for recruitment of extra staff can't be spent in 2016 and he says the transfer was well flagged in the HSE's service plan.
The Dáil's debating health today with 10 minute speeches from contributors.
Leo Varadkar didn't reach the issue of mental health funding in his contribution, but his speech deals with it.
He says the money was earmarked to provide an extra 1,550 staff for mental health but as these couldn't all be filled from January 1st and the savings are going to be transferred elsewhere.
This he says was clear from page 8 of the HSE service plan and he promised that the full 35 million will be restored to mental health for 2017.
Meanwhile Leo Varadkar says there's been an almost 7% increase in attendances at accident and emergency departments in the first three months of the year.
He says despite this the majority of people are being seen in an appropriate time.
But Fianna Fáil's Billy Kelleher says part of the problem is that GP services are stretched due to the free doctor visits for under 6's and this is putting pressure on A and E's
