Kenny fury at health spending accusations

Enda Kenny has reacted with anger to accusations the Government has been deliberately dishonest over health spending.

The charge from Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin provoked angry exchanges at leader’s questions.

The FF leader said Health Minister James Reilly had put out “false figures” and deliberately “cooked the books”.

Mr Martin claimed that Budget targets set for reducing the drugs bill and pay roll in the HSE were “dishonest”.

“The failure to implement measures announced in December’s budget relating to health is one thing, but it seems clear now that these figures were never achievable and you stand accused, and the Minister in particular, that, in essence, the books were cooked here,” said Mr Martin.

The FF leader warned that ward and full hospital closures could be the result if the HSE budget hit an estimated overspend of €500m this year.

“There are hospital managers around the country who are at the end of their tether and genuinely worried about the budgetary situation, given the cuts in their allocation already and their inability to make ends meet,” he said.

Mr Kenny rejected the claims and said Mr Martin’s time as health minister was one in which money was thrown at problems without any structural reform.

“It is unbecoming of the deputy to accuse the Minister for Health of being dishonest in the presentation of the estimate for his department for the budget for 2012,” he said. “That is not in keeping with the deputy’s normal behaviour.

“It is a fact of life that every minister has to work very hard to see that the ceilings and the proposals for their particular department’s budget for 2012 are adhered to and the same will apply in the case of the Department of Health.”

The Taoiseach said HSE chiefs had drawn up an action plan to try and deal with the overspend, currently running at €200m.

Mr Kenny told TDs that such options included Croke Park deal reforms and cutting back on employing agency staff.

Mr Kenny said the proposals were being considered by the Government. The Taoiseach added that CUH was now one of the best performing hospitals in the country and that opposition claims there would be chaos across the HSE after the February early retirement deadline had not materialised.

The row followed revelations that Labour’s Public Sector Reform Minister Brendan Howlin had written to Dr Reilly expressing concern at the overspend by the HSE and demanding immediate action to bring it under control.