Warning over health budget overrun

The EU’s economics commissioner sounded a strong warning yesterday about Ireland’s budget overruns in health spending, saying that the Government will need to do much more to get the sector into shape.

Speaking during a visit to Dublin, Pierre Moscovici said the “remarkable” upturn in the Irish economy was due to the painful reforms undertaken during the troika’s bailout programme and that Ireland looks set to be again the fastest growing country in Europe this year and in 2016.

However, he said Ireland’s high levels of public and private debt left it vulnerable to any fresh economic shocks and that the Government will have to keep a vigilant eye on spending across all areas and in health services, in particular.