Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Yesterday, in response to questions put to him, the Minister for Finance warned of a significant risk of health spending overruns. There are claims and reports that spending in this regard has escalated out of control. It is the third week of June and there has been a recruitment embargo in place for several weeks. The Exchequer returns in May showed that current health spending was €45 million behind profile last month. Are we honestly to believe that, in the past two weeks, such spending has suddenly gone out of control? If that is the case, can the Minister confirm it? Is it the view of the Government, in particular the Minister for Finance and for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Taoiseach, that the €16 million, which the HSE and the Department of Health agree is due to be paid following the job evaluation of 10,000 healthcare workers, would somehow break the budget?

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