Standard & Poor's: Government must limit health spending or risk increasing debt pile

The Government will have to do more to rein in health costs if it is to avoid a bigger debt pile, S&P Global Ratings has warned.

Projecting the Republic’s population will grow to five million by 2050 from 4.7m currently, S&P said there will be fewer people proportionately of working age paying taxes to support increased spending demands from health and pensions.

The major report comes amid fresh speculation the minority-led Fine Gael Government may face an early election, at which spending on health service will again likely to be a major campaign issue.