Social protection, health spending overruns hit €650m

Financial pressures in two departments have resulted in spending overruns of over €650m so far this year, despite ministers being ordered to rein in costs.

Finance chiefs admitted yesterday that the Department of Health could go on to run over its spending limits by year’s end.

The two budget over-runs came despite exchequer return figures showing that the tax take was slightly ahead of expectations. Ireland is on track to meet its budgetary targets by the end of the year, finance minister Michael Noonan insisted.