Varadkar: Doctors 'don't know their facts' about Health budget
The Health Minister Leo Varadkar has rejected criticism from doctors over his funding allocation in Budget 2015.
The Irish Medical Organisation claims the €13.2bn announced amounts to a cut when the current overrun in the sector is taken into account.
Mr Varadkar says that is wrong, and overall there is a net increase of up to €200m in funding for next year.
He also revealed the latest HSE service plan will be published in around three weeks' time.
Minister Varadkar has denied he has a "frosty" relationship with the doctors union, but questioned the attitude of some interest groups.
He said: "One of the big differences that I am experiencing between Tourism and Sport and Health is that, by and large, the interest groups in Tourism and Sport want you to succeed.
"You wonder sometimes if that is the case in Health.
"I'll do my best to work with them, but I would like if they knew their facts a bit better and clearly the IMO, the doctors' union, has a problem with that on a number of issues."
However, Fianna Fáil have joined in the criticism of the health budget estimates announced yesterday, saying the details remain vague.
The party's finance spokesperson Michael McGrath said they do not want to see a repeat of previous years, which have seen 'black holes' appear in the health budget.
He said: "There isn't sufficient detail in the expenditure profile published yesterday. It will emerge over time.
"I was listening carefully to what Minister Varadkar has said and I hope that they have got their numbers right this time.
"It is a difficult department, we certainly don’t want a budget to be mismanaged again and for resources to be run dry in the last few months of the year."
