Questions need to be answered over wasteful Health spend

Issued : Friday 28 September, 2018

Labour Party Health spokesperson and Vice Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Alan Kelly TD has said serious questions need to be answered about wasteful spend in the Department of Health.

Commenting on the report of the Controller and Auditor General into the Department of Health, Deputy Kelly said: 

“Frankly, I am appalled at the levels of wasteful spending in the Department of Health during one of the worst crisis periods our health service has seen.

“The fact that the Department is wasting €15.8 million in rent on a building that has remained vacant in a prime Dublin 2 area is completely and utterly wrong.

“We are currently in the throws of several crises in our health service- trolley crisis, doctor and nursing staffing crisis, Section 39 workers not being paid adequately, waiting lists out of control. It must be particularly galling for workers within and users of our health services to read the headlines and see that the Department has wasted a huge amount of money on a vacant building.

“Serious questions need to be answered on this as to why this outrageous spend is allowed to continue.”