The Government has hailed the €20 billion national service plan budget as the largest ever, as senior officials warned that urgent reforms were still at the mercy of Covid-19 uncertainties.
The National Service Plan, published on Tuesday, pledges to cut waiting lists and continue Ireland on the path to universal healthcare.
But Health Service Executive (HSE) chief executive Paul Reid admitted that reaching the targets would pose a challenge to a health system buffeted by the pandemic and still experiencing recruitment difficulties.
