The HSE’s budget plan for its biggest projects this year has been delayed again and will not now be published until the start of August, due in part to the surging spend on the children’s hospital. Officials confirmed that the publication has been pushed back despite assurances it would be made public before the Dáil summer break last Thursday. “The fact this report won’t be published until eight months into the year speaks volumes,” said Sinn Féin’s Louise O’Reilly. You can’t pay for being hundreds of millions of euro over-budget on the children’s hospital without cancelling projects. “It is likely that some form of a co-payment will be part of the new scheme,” said Mr Daly.

Source: Irish Examiner July 15, 2019 05:15 UTC