Health spend ‘under 90% of EU average’

DESPITE the billions of euro being pumped into healthcare, Ireland is still spending less than 90% of the European average, a health expert warned yesterday.

Maev-Ann Wren said that while spending on health had increased hugely in the past five years, Ireland was still playing catch-up with other European countries.

“As recently as 1990 we were spending under 40% of the European average,” she pointed out. “You just have to look around to see the reality of that,” she said.