Reilly: Croke Park must be renegotiated

on 31/08/2012 17:40:30

The Health Minister James Reilly has said he will not be able to make necessary savings next year unless the Croke Park Agreement is renegotiated.

After 24 hours with no public statement on the furore over the €130m in health cuts announced by the HSE, James Reilly said 70% of the health budget is spent on on pay and that savings in the remainder had been exhausted.

Mr Reilly said the required savings next year of up to €700m required a renegotiation of the Croke Park Agreement.

However, Transport Minister Leo Varadkar said: "The position of the Government is that we're going to stick by the Croke Park for its duration…It's incumbent on all of us to work together to do that, but I can certainly understand Minister Reilly's frustrations."

Opposition and carers' groups called on Minister Reilly to explain why he has not delivered on the commitment in the Programme for Government to renegotiate the consultants' contract where €100m in possible savings have been identified.