HSE: ‘Risks’ mean €14bn budget may not be enough

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has warned that its €14bn budget for next year may not be enough because of a series of “risks”.

HSE director general Tony O’Brien said the 3.4% funding increase was part of the Government’s commitment to placing the health service on a sustainable financial footing. But, he said, there were some risks to the successful delivery of the HSE National Service Plan 2017.

“While every effort will be made to manage these risks, it may not be possible to eliminate them in full, and they may impact on planned levels of service delivery or achievement of targeted performance,” he said.