Shortall admits 'poor communication' between herself and Health Minister

Junior Minister for Health Roisin Shortall has admitted today that there was "poor communication" between herself and the Minister for Health over the planned cuts to the Health Service.

Minister Shortall said that she was only told about the planned €130m in HSE cutbacks just one hour before the press were briefed last Thursday.

Speaking at the launch of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre's annual report for 2011, Minister Shortall said that she supports the Government's decision to reverse cuts to the personal assistance hours for disabled people.

She added that she was not pleased with the lack of notice she received before the cuts were announced, however.

"Yes there was poor communication," she said.

"That is absolutely a secondary matter. The most important thing is that we deliver health services to people who need them and we do that in the most effective way from a health point of view and the most cost-effective way,

"Cutting frontline services is not the way to do that."