Staff cuts in the nation's health service may include culling nurses, it was claimed today.
The Secretary General at the Department of Health, Michael Scanlon, said that nurse numbers may have to be cut to meet staffing reductions.
The Dail's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) heard that the department will have to reduce its 100,000 staff by 1,100 to comply with Finance Department budget guidelines.
Mr Scanlon said: "It's not that I want to single out nurses... but going forward there's going to be more and more people in this country working in our health services, and how sustainable is that?
"There's got to be a limit to it."
However, committee chairman Michael Noonan said reducing nursing levels would be a bad decision.
"I don't think you should suggest that one of the solutions is less nurses because you're going down a dangerous road if you're suggesting ... that's the place where you can reduce staff," he said.
The Dail PAC was discussing the 2003 Annual Report of the Comptroller & Auditor General on the Department of Health and Children's accounts.
Mr Scanlon said the Health Department needed "to get a grip" on what it spends and what it delivers for that money.
The Health Department and Health Service Executive was trying very hard to give value for money to taxpayers, he noted.
He said the media often painted a negative picture of the health service in the country.
"Inevitably, good news does not sell so one doesn't tend to hear the good news. People who are treated in the health service in Ireland rate it very highly.
"There are problems about access to services like Accident & Emergency but the actual service delivered when somebody is seen is very good.
"I believe the Department of Health is delivering a level of service that is not getting across to the public."
PA