HSE chief says Croke Park II deal vital

The head of the HSE has added to the pressure on medical unions to sign up to Croke Park II after insisting the plans are vital to safely cutting back health service over-spending.

HSE director-designate Tony O’Brien told the Oireachtas Health Committee yesterday the health service had been, by the end of March, already €27m over-budget.

No new concerns, he said, had emerged since the start of the year that will affect the budget.

However, he stressed any failure to find the estimated €150m in work practice savings through Croke Park II will mean other cutbacks will be imposed.

“The scale of the risk and challenge in achieving financial break-even by year end remains very significant, as predicted in the [HSE’s budget] national service plan 2013.

“It will increase if there is an absence of continued and improved flexibility under the Croke Park agreement,” he said.

“The absence of significant delivery on our cost containment measures and the expected additional control actions could give rise to a very significant level of deficit to year end.”

Out-of-control health service budgets have been among the most pressing issues affecting the HSE since its establishment in late 2004.

The problem has become increasingly apparent on an almost year-by-year basis.

And with the Irish Medical Organisation and Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation due to vote on whether to support the new deal over the coming weeks, the matter has again been brought to the fore.