HSE payment deferral not approved

THE HSE has not received board approval to defer payment of €15 million in staff expenses nor is it permitted to do so under Public Financial Procedures, the Department of Health has said.

Three ministers have condemned what appeared on Tuesday night to be a cast-iron decision to delay the payment of expenses incurred by staff in October, November and this month in order to remove an estimated €15m from its 2011 budget.

That decision had been taken in the face of the HSE’s financial difficulties, which see it facing a €300m year-end deficit.