Varadkar: Health overspend past €430m
The Health Minister has revealed that the over-run in the HSE has now exceeded €430m.
Leo Varadkar has told the Dáil that a budget bailout "in excess of" €500m will be needed by year end.
The early payment this month of money due from the UK has reduced the deficit – but it will increase again in November when the money was actually due.
Minister Varadkar also said the only increase he's looking for in the Health Budget next year is the equivalent of the overspend this year.
"I see figures bandied about in the press that I'm looking for €1.2bn or €900m - I can absolutely guarantee you that's not the case," he said.
"The only thing I'm looking for from Health for nest is a neutral budget … that we're able to spend next year more or less what was spent this year, and I'll try to provide a better service within existing budgets."
He also said that a key policy of the coalition - to introduce Universal Health Insurance - can not be delivered by 2019 as planned.
The measure - which would see a full single tier health system - was agreed in the Programme for Government and was to be delivered on a phased basis.
