The chief executive officer of the Western Health Board has justified the revelation that the board is operating on a current €8 million surplus, as opposed to a deficit of €14 million announced just six months ago.
At a board meeting in Merlin Park Hospital, Galway, yesterday, Dr Sheelah Ryan said the €8 million surplus was 1 per cent of the overall budget, which was equivalent to approximately three days' spending. She added that if there was a surplus at the end of the year she would "eat her hat".
The €8 million was said to have derived from deferred developments in community and mental health and older people services, and a rounded-up supplementary estimate from the Department of Health and Children which was announced at the very end of the year.
She said she had been away in mid-February and she did not have accounting figures to present to the board prior to that.
Board members criticised Dr Ryan for failing to alert them to the true financial position. Cllr John Flannery said members had agreed to cuts in health services the previous year and had also agreed to cuts for the coming year, yet they were not being told there was a surplus.