Cutting €1bn of health spend ‘really challenging’

HEALTH services are facing severe cutbacks, Health Minister Mary Harney warned, as she revealed that up to €1 billion would have to be cut from the budget.

With 70% of the HSE’s budget spent on pay, the task of removing between €600 million and €1bn from the budget would be “really challenging,” Ms Harney said.

Because pay rates could not be cut because of the Croke Park Agreement, other areas would have to be pursued more aggressively.