Irish healthcare gained by British mistake

LONDON, April 9 (UPI) -- Opposition leaders in Britain said government overpayments to Ireland for healthcare expenses amounted to $1 billion and needed immediate redress.

The overpayment was made as part of a 40-year-old arrangement for Britain to cover some healthcare costs for Irish pensioners who had spent part of their careers working in England, The Times of London reported.

Conservative Party members said the total of overpayments since 2004 amounted to $1 billion and called for an official inquiry, The Times said.

The British Department of Health, however, has refused to give Parliament details on the overpayments, The Times said.

Britain's Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said the government was trying to cover up "another shambles."

"National Health Service funds are always precious and it's completely unacceptable for the government to be carelessly diverging ($264 million) a year out of our NHS," he said.

He also called upon the government to make amends for "the painful impact the confusion is having on the already overstretched Irish health system."

Irish Health Minister Mary Harney said the British government would likely reduce payments to Ireland by $332 million a year until the overpayment comes back to even.