Harney’s extra €603,000 for advisers

HEALTH Minister Mary Harney has budgeted to spend an extra €603,000 on outside advisers this year — as desperate carers for the disabled battle to prevent their respite help being slashed.

The Health Department accounts for a third of the €1.81 million or more earmarked for private consultancy firms in 2010, above what was spent last year, according to new figures compiled by Fine Gael.

This will see Health’s budget for commercial advisors reach €1,178,000 (just over double that spent in 2009) at a time when the Government is in a bitter tussle with families protesting against cuts to disabled services.