A senior HSE West Forum official has severely censured the public health authorities for lashing out on Viagra and other erectile dysfunction treatment meds, reports the Irish Times.

Referring to official figures that have showed that State-sponsored funding of sildenafil and other impotence drugs increased by approximately €500.000 in 2009-10 fiscal years, Green Party Councillor Brian Meany said the huge expenses on a lifestyle condition cannot be “justified”.

The Irish Times learns from the Health Service Executive report that the State spent a whopping €6.31m on impotence drugs in 2010. The expenditure included €5.47m in ingredients, €809,861 in fee charges, and €31,302 in value-added tax, the daily broadsheet newspaper learns.

According to Councillor Meany, the extravagance on erectile dysfunction treatment can be ill-afforded by a crippled healthcare system that has failed to provide basic health services to the people of Ireland. The system is in a dire state as the authorities are compelled to close many nursing homes for want of funds and are also cutting budget for essential health services, he observes.

The Green Party official, however, was considerate to the need of impotence treatment in “cases where there are sound medical, emotional and social reasons”.

The amount spent on impotence treatment is adequate to enact the decision to limit prescriptions for Viagra and other ED drugs to 4 pills a month, says the newspaper.