The Department of Finance will not provide the health service with large scale funding until after the next general election it has been revealed.
A spokesperson for the Department also told
ireland.com
this evening the Minister for Finance Mr Charlie McCreevy was "not going to throw money into the health service" until a review of its "inefficiencies" had been carried out.
The spokesperson said signs of inefficiency were apparent in the continuing long waiting lists for services despite the provision of "so much money". The cause, he added, was poor management.
He said current funding under the National Development Plan provided for the service until 2006, but calls are now being made for funding increases.
Last May, during a lengthy meeting with his Cabinet colleagues the Minister of Health, Mr Martin, said a review of hospital bed requirements alone had found that almost 5,000 extra beds in public hospitals would be needed over the next decade at a cost of £2 billion.
But Mr McCreevy told him he had been more than generous in allocating almost £5.4 billion to the service this year alone.
A health strategy report is expected from the Department of Health next month when it is believed Mr Martin will outline details of a request for extra funding.
However, Labour Party spokesperson on health Ms Liz McManus has called on the Taoiseach to end the "chaotic approach" of his ministers to reform of the health service.
Ms McManus said the Government’s health policy was a shambles and divergence of policy of the minsters for Finance and Health had now reached a climax.
"Minister McCreevy’s hardline demand for reform of management in return for funding is clearly something that Micheal Martin has been unable to deliver", she said, adding that only a general election would now bring the "indecision and lack of leadership" to an end.