Minister cannot rule out possibility €200m+ bill facing taxpayer over doctors salary claims may rise

The €200m-plus bill the taxpayer must pay in order to end the decade-long salary stand-off with hospital consultants could rise even further after Government did not rule out more doctors making claims against the State.

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe (below) did not reject the potentially crippling move after announcing a new deal that will see thousands of consultants who signed contracts between 2008 and 2012 given up to €72,000 in back-dated pay hikes.