Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has defended the funding given to his department and the HSE in next year’s Budget.
Minister Donnelly says it will cover a broad number of areas, but also includes funding for the increased costs of equipment.
It comes following reports over the weekend that HSE CEO Bernard Gloster told ministers 800 million euro of funding was well under the 2 billion euro needed to stay afloat.
It also follows separate letters to the minister from 79 Donegal GPs and 11 Letterkenny University Hospital Consultants outlining serious concerns about issues with hospital services and their impact on patient care.
Minister Donnelly says the service is dealing with a real challenge, but that a lot of money is being invested:
