Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 196: To ask the Minister for Health the extent of budgetary overrun at various public hospitals throughout the country at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18153/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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According to the Performance Management Report for April, which is the latest set of figures available to me, the overall deficit in the hospital system is €99m. The overall deficit for the HSE is €184m. This poses a serious budget challenge to public hospitals and the wider health system. It is clear that if existing spending trends remain unchecked there would be a significant overrun at the end of this year. I have made it clear that such an overrun is not acceptable given the state of the public finances and this country's obligations under the Memorandum of Understanding with the IMF and EU. I am on record as saying that every individual agency must take responsibility and do everything possible to stay within budget while delivering their planned level of service. Under its reform programme the Government has committed to achieving greater efficiencies in patient care and service delivery. These efficiencies will not be easy to achieve but I am certain that over time they will help to ensure that more people get access to services within a given quantum of funding.

The detailed position at the end of April in the hospital sector across the country is set out in the table below.