Interviews for up to 200 middle-management posts in the health service were conducted in a Sligo hotel, while cutbacks were announced by the local hospital, Fine Gael health spokesman Dr James Reilly told the Dáil.
He said that the HSE had spent €3.5 million on hotel hire for meeting rooms and, added to the €4.5 million unauthorised overspend on IT, this came to a total of €8 million. "This is a damning indictment of the attitude of management in the HSE," said Dr Reilly.
He claimed that since the return of Fianna Fáil and the PDs to Government, the exposure of their "deceitful lies about the health services" had completely undermined any credibility they might have had.
"Patients should not be punished for HSE mismanagement and overspending, while massive bonuses are paid to management," said Dr Reilly. "While the HSE must manage its finances, balancing its books should not come at the expense of frontline services and patient care."
Dr Reilly was speaking during a debate on a Fine Gael Private Members' motion on the state of the health services. It was glaringly obvious, he said, that patients would be affected by the loss of 30 nurses and four consultants from Sligo general hospital; the cancellation of dental services for children in Dublin; the dismantling of A&E services in Ennis; and the immediate closure of breast cancer services at 13 hospitals nationally without alternative services being available.
Minister of State for Health Dr Jimmy Devins said a survey had shown that there was strong satisfaction with the healthcare services by a majority of respondents and a high degree of confidence and trust in health professionals.
Dr Devins said that most activities had exceeded the target levels in the HSE's service plan.
"This does not mean that all such activities have, in turn, exceeded their budgets. However, some services have exceeded their budgets.
Therefore, Prof Brendan Drumm has implemented a break-even plan," he added.
Sinn Féin's Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said the HSE had cited an alleged overspend of €140 million by hospitals to justify cuts. "But last July, the HSE announced its final abandonment of the failed PPRS computer system which, up to 2005, had cost €130 million," he added.
Earlier, Labour leader Eamon Gilmore referred to an RTÉ report which said that 12,000 adults were waiting for longer than six months, and 2,200 children were waiting for longer than three months, for procedures.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said that additional expenditure for the HSE this year amounted to €1.2 billion. Its allocation for this year was €15 billion, which was 25 per cent higher than it was two years ago.
"The HSE, like every other organisation, must adhere as close as possible to, hopefully within, the high allocation it receives through the budget," he said.
