Harris told to ‘get a grip’ on agency bills

HEALTH Minister Simon Harris has been told he “needs to get to grips” with spending.

The call came after it was revealed the HSE paid out more than €32million on agency fees to provide mental health services in the second half of 2016.

Fianna Fail’s mental health spokesman and Wexford TD James Browne said: “I am baffled by the Government’s reluctance to address this issue as a matter of urgency.

“Not only would it solve the staffing crisis in our mental health service, the reduction in agency costs would deliver a huge saving to the State.

“Minister Harris needs to get to grips with agency spending as a matter of priority.”