Reilly adamant no hospitals will close

Health Minister James Reilly has insisted there will be no hospital closures in the Budget.

Addressing the Oireachtas Committee on Health this morning, Minister Reilly said he does not want to discuss budget specifics as no decisions have yet been reached.

However he said he remains committed to achieving a single-tier health system where the money follows the patient.

And he was adamant small hospitals will be getting improved facilities under a reconfiguration of services - rather than facing closure.

"There will be no hospital closures, either as part of reconfiguration, or due to budgetary measures," he said.

"If people were perturbed by the furore over what's come out of small hospitals, there will be an even greater furore from the bigger hospitals when we start taking stuff out of them and putting it back into smaller hospitals.

"We are determined to do that. That is our policy and that's what will happen."