Health Department spending set to miss budget target by €490m

SPENDING in the Department of Health is still out of control — months after Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy warned that budget targets would have to be met.

At the current rate of expenditure, the Department of Health will run over budget by around €490m.

Despite cuts and charges of 38m, Department of Health spending at the end of September was still up 24.9% on last year, but the budget allows for an increase of just 16.7%.