Health spend clarity sought from Health Minister

Fianna Fáil health spokesman Billy Kelleher has called on the health minister to make a statement following claims he had planned to renege on a commitment to provide €35m for mental health ever year.

The claim, in relation to funding for 2016, was made by outgoing junior health minister Kathleen Lynch in an interview with the Irish Examiner, published yesterday.

Ms Lynch said “the €35m was removed from the budget entirely” and that the decision to do so had been made by Health Minister Leo Varadker, Finance Minister Michael Noonan and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin.