Opposition parties have criticised Minister for Health James Reilly over the contents of the latest HSE performance report which shows that the health service's overspend continues to grow.
The latest report shows an overspend of €329 million to the end of August, up from €254 million at the end of July.
Speaking this evening, Dr Reilly said the money had not been spent but the service it was €270 million over if the health service keep spending at the same rate
“We have a duty to bring our overall budget in the HSE in on target and we are going to do that,” he said.
The report also showed large overruns at some of the State’s hospitals, with combined deficits of five hospitals at 65m at the end of July.
The biggest overspend was at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin at €17.9m, Regional Hospital Dooradoyle was over by €14m, Cork University Hospital had a €10m overrun, Galway College University Hospital was over by €11,9m the Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Tallaght was over by €10.3m. The largest percentage overrun was at Louth County hospital over by 67 per cent or €4.6m.
The report also showed that almost 340,000 patients were waiting for a first consultant outpatient appointment at the end of July. Two thirds of these patients were waiting less than a year from the referral date.
About 5 per cent, or 16,667, had been waiting more than four years for an appointment.
The largest outpatient waiting list in the State was at the Galway Hospital Group which was at 21,089 followed by Waterford Regional Hospital at 20,945.
Other large waiting lists were at Limerick Regional hospital (14,263), Cork South Infirmary/Victoria Hospital 5,784, Tallaght Hospital 5,115.
Dr Reilly said the figure did not reflect an increase in waiting but was “for the first time” more accurate figures on people waiting for outpatient appointment.
The numbers waiting longer than a year for outpatient appointment had reduced by 85 per cent since the Government took office, he told RTE news.
Dr Reilly said the Government expected the number of those waiting to rise to 360,000 once all hospital data has been collated.
“For the first time we now know what the extent of the problem is,” he said.
"By the end of next year we will have nobody waiting longer than a year." Commenting on the 16,600 who have been waiting for more than four years, Dr Reilly said: "That is a disgrace, that is something that is not tenable and that is something that is not going to continue".
"We are going to treat the longest waiters first, we are going to have accurate weekly monitoring of the situation from here-on-in," he said.
Fianna Fáil said the timing of the HSE report raised "serious question marks" about last night's Dáil debate and confidence vote in the minister.
Party health spokesman Billy Kelleher asked whether Dr Reilly had "misled" the Dáil by "suppressing" publication of the document until after last night’s debate on motions of no confidence in him.
“The emergence of this report raises a serious question about whether Minister Reilly has misled the Dáil by suppressing this information until after the vote of confidence," Mr Kelleher claimed.
"Over the course of the debate, he and many of his colleagues talked about progress he was making on waiting lists pointing to them as evidence that he was the right person for the job. Hours later, evidence emerges that far from improving waiting lists, his mismanagement has seen waiting lists double,” said Mr Kelleher.
Mr Kelleher called on the Taoiseach and Tánaiste "in the public interest" to "seriously consider" Dr Reilly’s position "as a matter of urgency".
Sinn Féin's Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said the figures were "shocking".
Mr Ó Caoláin said the Dáil heard "repeated assertions" during last night's debate that more is being delivered for patients "despite fewer resources." The figures contained in the latest report "give the lie to that assertion", Mr Ó Caoláin said.
He said Dr Reilly intends to take "further hundreds of millions" out of the health budget in 2013 and 2014.
“If this cuts regime continues we face melt-down in our public health services,” he added.