Ministers left red-faced over inability to predict scale of HSE overspend

Ministers were left red-faced last night as they admitted being unable to predict the scale of the spiralling HSE overspend as the IMF fired a warning shot over the crisis engulfing health finance.

Brendan Howlin, the public expenditure minister, could only say he did “not expect” the medical spending black hole to hit the €500m mark some experts predict.

The failure to get a grip on health spending has caused major tensions within the Coalition as well as conflict between Health Minister James Reilly and the former head of the HSE Cathal Magee.