Budget overrun ‘a worse prospect’

The man charged with overseeing €130m worth of health cuts said they were necessary to avoid a massive budget overrun from spiralling out of control.

Tony O’Brien, director general designate of the HSE, acknowledged the cuts would impact on patient care but said the alternative, of not reining in a €550m budget overrun, would have been worse.

He also said some of the areas earmarked for cuts could be reviewed and that absenteeism in the health service — running as high as 7% in some areas — would be tackled.

Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week programme yesterday, Mr O’Brien said the need for the cuts had been taken “at governmental level” to reassure the troika.

Work on areas to be targeted for cuts had been ongoing since July, he said, but was incomplete on his assuming of the position.

“Nobody takes any pleasure in identifying this list,” he said, adding work would continue on identifying an area of cost reduction that would limit the impact on patient services.

“If we do not bring the €550m [overrun] back into line, and this €130m is a key part of that, we face the very real prospect of running out of cash before year end and that would be a much worse prospect.”

Mr O’Brien said efforts had been made to tackle “unjustified sick leave and absence” and that some staff have left the health service as a result, “not necessarily of their own choice”.

He said work was ongoing on securing year-round consultant cover but the terms of the Croke Park Agreement meant the issue of contracts could not be immediately addressed, at a time when over 100,000 additional medical cards have been issued and home-care packages are to be reduced.