HSE to withhold 2019 projects budget until August

The HSE’s budget plan for its biggest projects this year has been delayed again and will not now be published until the start of August, due in part to the surging spend on the children’s hospital.

Officials confirmed that the publication has been pushed back despite assurances it would be made public before the Dáil summer break last Thursday.

In a meeting with the Public Accounts Committee last month, HSE director general Paul Reid said the near-complete plan — which details health service major project spending this year as opposed to immediate frontline spending — was still being finalised.

Under questioning, Mr Reid and other senior officials confirmed the report would be published while TDs and senators were still sitting to allow space for a full debate on its details.

However, the Irish Examiner understands the capital plan will not now be made public until the first week of August — eight months after the start of the year for which it is meant to be outlining vital project spending.

Government sources said while it had been intended to publish the report by the Dáil summer recess, this was not possible due to ongoing discussions between the Departments of Health and Public Expenditure.

These talks focussed on an extra €200m in funding made available as a result of the Government’s summer economic statement last month, and on the children’s hospital spending levels.

While a version of the plan has been with Health Minister Simon Harris’ office for more than a week, it is understood it is now being altered to take account of the increased funding.

However, this has resulted in the Dáil summer break deadline being missed, a situation opposition parties said is a “remarkable coincidence” and may be an attempt to block detailed discussions on delayed projects.

“The fact this report won’t be published until eight months into the year speaks volumes,” said Sinn Féin’s Louise O’Reilly.

“They can talk about ‘reprofiling’ or ‘deficit mitigation’ all they want, but what people want to know is which planned projects are going to be affected because of children’s hospital overspending.

“It’s complete nonsense to say this delay is only about finalising details. It’s been eight months.

You can’t pay for being hundreds of millions of euro over-budget on the children’s hospital without cancelling projects.

Labour health spokesman Alan Kelly added: “How is it credible the HSE capital plan will now be published in August?”

Meanwhile, the Government is at risk of deepening a separate health row over home help services, after it emerged it is seeking an outside firm to examine if some older people should pay for the service from 2021.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, minister of state for older people Jim Daly said he will seek the advice as part of an independent review in the coming weeks as a direct result of the sector’s funding problems.

The contract will examine “management, operation and funding” of existing services before access to home help services becomes statutory in 2021, with Mr Daly confirming it will ask if wealthier older people should pay a contribution for their care.

“It is likely that some form of a co-payment will be part of the new scheme,” said Mr Daly.

“Currently, a person living on just the old age pension and a person with a multi-million euro pension pot have the same free entitlement, these needs to change.”