Health will get an extra €7bn a year, vows Harney

HEALTH services will have an extra €7 billion a year in resources within five years if the economy continues to thrive, Health Minister Mary Harney vowed last night.

Ms Harney predicted the health budget could be a massive €20bn a year by 2012. However, she stressed the extra spending is contingent on reform of the health services.

The current budget is a historically high €13bn but services have been beset by a serious A&E crisis involving hundreds of people left on trolleys in corridors for days. It forced the Tanáiste to describe the situation as a “national emergency”.