The Mater Hospital would neither confirm nor deny reports that some 2,100 surgical procedures have been postponed this year because of budget shortfalls.
A hospital spokeswoman said negotiations were ongoing with the ERHA about funding, but she pointed out that 53.9 per cent of the hospital's budget for this year had been spent by the end of May.
The hospital had sought a budget of €156 million but received €140 million, the same as last year, and was already carrying a deficit of €5 million from 2001.
Labour's health spokeswoman, Ms Liz McManus, said yesterday that Dublin's teaching hospitals were facing a shortfall of €30 million, and unless the funding crisis was addressed all would have to close wards and cancel appointments.
She said it was "ludicrous" that the Government had a special treatment fund to send patients abroad or to the Mater Private Hospital for treatment at much greater cost than to the Mater public hospital, which did not have the funds to do so. The system was completely "skewed" away from public patients.
