HSE denies reports of 'fake targets' and 'sloppiness' around financial reporting

The report says the officials raised concerns about "serious financial governance issues at the HSE", including “sloppiness” around financial reporting and “hundreds of millions” of euro of adjustments for “fundamental errors”.

No initial answers from minister or department

The report also suggested that ministers had not handled health budgets well and the Taoiseach had no faith in the HSE's ability to plan. A spokesperson for Health Minister Stephen Donnelly referred a query from the Irish Examiner to the Department of Health, who did not respond to a request for a statement, and a Government spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

HSE hits back at newspaper report

In a strongly-worded statement on Sunday night, however, the HSE hit back at the report saying the article relates to "shared issues between the HSE and the Department of Health which have been the subject of many constructive discussions between us". The HSE statement continued: 

The characterisation of these issues, and in particular the disparaging language used about identifiable individuals including senior managers and our Board, is very disappointing.

The statement went on to say that there won’t be an adjustment in the order of “hundreds of millions of euros” to the HSE’s accounts, and the HSE had never indicated to the department that there would be.

"There may be a technical accounting adjustment (of a much smaller amount than that mentioned), and this is under discussion with the Department. If this happens, it will reduce not increase the level of reported expenditure. So there is no question of any additional funds having to be found and provided to the HSE as a result of this, nor will there be any impact on services or staff."

HSE defends its 'rigorous' recruitment process

The statement says the HSE's recruitment for 2022 will hit 5,500, but there are no "fake targets".

"We conducted a rigorous process of analysing labour market projections and the likely growth trajectory of staff, and concluded that we were confident of recruiting a minimum of 5,500 additional staff in 2022. We told the department of this, and agreed that while we would target a minimum 5,500 increase, we would also aim to improve on that figure as much as possible.

"All discussions with the Department on this matter were completely open and transparent. In the light of the clarity with which we explained the situation to the Department, it is It is deeply disappointing to see phrases such as “fake targets” being used in relation to this issue."

The statement notes that mention of the HSE's financial oversight protocols in the article by both Department staff and the paper amount to "a serious slur on the work reputations of identifiable individuals"

We do not recognise the comments made as being accurate. 

Labour’s health spokesperson Duncan Smith has written to Mr Donnelly to "demand answers to extraordinary questions of governance, recruitment and accountability" raised by the article, while Sinn Féin's David Cullinane called it "a damning indictment of major strategic failings in government policy".