Health Dept probes boards' budgets

Officials from the Department of Health are believed to be planning to question three health boards about their failure to spend their entire budgets last year.

Reports claimed some health boards had millions of euro left over last year, despite introducing severe cutbacks due to budgetary constraints.

The Labour Party has called for an independent inquiry into the spending shortfall and has accused the minister of causing the problem by putting intense pressure on health boards keep within their budgets.