IMO president criticises unrealistic Budget 2026 health allocation as IFAC analysis warns of repeat overspend (imt.ie)

• IFAC analysis finds hospital budgets set below previous year's actual spending, assuming unrealistic savings.
• Health accounted for 40% of Government spending overruns in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
• HSE overspent €250 million in first three months of 2026, prompting new cost controls.
• Budget 2026 allocated over €27 billion for health, but hospital budgets increase by only €6 million.
• IMO president calls for multi-annual funding and realistic targets.

"The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has warned that the Government is setting itself up to fail with an unrealistic health budget for 2026. This follows an analysis by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (IFAC) which found that hospital budgets have been set below the previous year's actual spending, assuming large savings that have not materialised in the past. Health accounted for 40% of government spending overruns in 2023-2025. The HSE has already overspent by €250 million in the first quarter of 2026, prompting new cost controls."