While many of the key elements for the health services have been announced in today's Budget, some of the finer detail may only become clear at tomorrow's detailed departmental briefing with the media.
One of the big moves is the €250 million fund to cut waiting lists. Public waiting lists are at almost 900,000 - a record number.
The projection is that a further half a million people could come into the system and add to this list, if no measures are taken.
Some of the measures will need to be watched closely, like the better waiting list management plan, cutting duplications, no shows and people who it is deemed no longer need the clinical care.
With the extra Budget funds there will be increased use of HSE capacity, as well as private hospitals to reduce waiting lists.
The Budget also includes a plan to introduce free GP care for those aged six and seven years.
The phased extension of free GP care to under-12s was announced previously and any new changes will require talks with the Irish Medical Organisation.
The Covid-19 measures last year cost a whopping €2bn. This will reduce to about €1bn next year for the test and trace system, booster jabs and personal protective equipment.
The overall budget for next year is huge at over €20bn, but that will not dampen down calls for specific areas to be allocated greater funds.
It is also important to note that there has been a health underspend this year of €820m to the end of September, due to the impact of Covid-19.
So this money should be available for the rest of 2021, but some might be carried into 2022.
In his Budget speech, Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath said that one of the most important legacies following the pandemic is a reformed public health service that provides for the people based on medical need regardless of income.
He said Budget 2022 provides further resources to drive this strategic reform of the health system in line with Sláintecare.
The minister said €10.5m has been provided for 19 additional critical care beds in 2022, bringing the total ICU beds next year to 340, which is a 33% increase in critical care capacity since the onset of the pandemic.
€31m for women's health measures
The Government has also announced a dedicated women's health packaged worth €31m, which will include access to free contraception for women aged 17-25 from next August.
There will also be further investment in measures identified in the women's health task force; progress regarding the Period Poverty Implementation Group; additional funding for sexual assault treatment units; and implementation of the National Maternity Strategy and the Gynaecology Model of Care.
Minister McGrath announced an additional €105m for disability services, including supports for school leavers and for people with disabilities inappropriately living in nursing homes.
Budget 2022 will provide an additional €37m to fund the expansion of mental health services, and an extra €30m to progress delivery of a number of national strategies, including the cancer strategy and investment in trauma centres and transplant programmes.
The minister said 7,000 new posts will be added across the health system.
"We will build on that by recruiting a further 8,000 staff next year, bringing the overall number of employees in the health sector to 144,000," he said.
The Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation has said it wants greater detail on the overall budget package regarding the number of nurses and midwives that will be recruited between now and the end of 2022.
It said this is in the context of the Safe Staffing Framework in Nursing, which sets staffing levels scientifically, based on patient needs.
The union also wants to know the number of additional CAO places that will be provided to nursing and midwifery.
The Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation has said it wants greater detail on the overall budget package regarding the number of nurses and midwives that will be recruited between now and the end of 2022.
It said this is in the context of the Safe Staffing Framework in Nursing, which sets staffing levels scientifically, based on patient needs.
The union said it also wants to know the number of additional CAO places that will be provided to nursing and midwifery.
