Health has turned a corner, says Reilly

Health Minister James Reilly has said the health service has “turned a corner” — despite getting a bailout of €199m for overspending this year.

The Cabinet yesterday reviewed the supplement for the HSE ahead of ministers signing off on further cuts to services next week as part of the agency’s 2014 service plan.

Speaking in Brussels yesterday, Dr Reilly dismissed troika criticisms of delays in budget measures in health and said that services were “turning a corner”.

Figures show that the overspend in health has run to €351m this year. This is reduced after HSE savings of €50m in capital and €80m in pension spending are factored in, as well as €20m saved by the Department of Health itself, the HSE said. The net figure would be €199m, it said.

The bailout for health will now be debated by TDs from all parties at an Oireachtas health committee tomorrow and in the Dáil next week.

The €199m health bailout forms part of a larger €330m bailout package for all government departments, which is scheduled to be published tomorrow. Ministers reviewed these figures at Cabinet yesterday.

The Department of Justice also overspent this year. Justice Minister Alan Shatter has already admitted his department needs a bailout to fund the pay and pensions of gardaí as well as compensation for the women of the Magdalene Laundries.

In health, long-awaited plans for €666m in cuts and savings in services for next year will now not be released or discussed until next week.

Mr Reilly has been reviewing those savings as part of the HSE’s 2014 service plan and will brief his cabinet colleagues next Tuesday.

The plan will then be published but only days before TDs head for their Christmas break.

Opposition TDs yesterday accused Mr Reilly of delaying publication of the service plan to avoid scrutiny of the cuts.

Sinn Féin health spokesman Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said: “Next week is the last Dáil sitting week before the Christmas recess and the Dáil is not due to resume until mid-January.

“All the minister can offer is the ‘possibility’ that preparation of the plan may be completed next week.

“Even if this is the case, the Oireachtas will not have the time to tease out its full implications before the recess.”