Newly-revealed plans by the HSE to make cuts to disabilities, older persons and acute hospital services have been met with strong criticism.
Freedom of Information requests by Sinn Féin have revealed that a HSE budget oversight group was exploring ways to ‘break even’ in the areas of Disabilities, Older Persons and Acute Hospitals.
There have been calls for the full saving measures to be made public.
Donegal Deputy Pearse Doherty said: “The HSE recently revealed that it had set up a budget oversight group with officials from the Departments of Health and Public Expenditure & Reform to control health spending and staffing levels in response to recent overruns.
“In response to an FOI request made by Sinn Féin for all records relating to this new oversight group, we received monthly minutes of meetings between HSE and department officials.
“The documents reveal that the Government plans to control spending by making cuts to essential services.
“At a meeting held on 27 May, officials stated that there were further ‘saving actions’ required with respect to ‘Disabilities, Older Persons and Acute Hospitals in order to break even’.”
The Sinn Féin FOI request was denied certain parts of information on the budget oversight group’s plans.
Pearse Doherty is now calling for full transparency on the cost-cutting measures:
“It is clear from the documents we received that these saving measures include the ‘low hanging fruit’ of disability and older person services, such as the training allowance for school-leavers with disabilities that is due to be axed in September,” Deputy Doherty said.
He added that it should be the taxpayer’s right to know how the health service’s money is being spent and what cost-saving exercises are being taken.
“I am appealing this decision and call on the Government to release these documents immediately in the public interest.”
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