Dr. Ambrose McLoughlin:

I am happy to share with the committee on the understanding that this is work in progress. We have commissioned a number of studies. The Minister invited Mr. Ogden to examine the financial affairs of the HSE and to examine in particular its strengths and weaknesses in respect of financial management. We have a report from Mr. Ogden which is currently being worked through by the HSE. We also have an implementation report which is a work in progress. I assure the committee that I cannot be more helpful than that because the Minister is proposing to deal with these matters at an early date. I can assure the committee of the very best efforts of the Department of Health and the HSE to put in place a proper management system from a financial perspective. I do want to make it clear as well that there are constraints on me as Secretary General that are very serious. There are policy matters that are being dealt with at the minute. It is a matter for the Minister to make these announcements in due course on some of the issues to which the Deputy referred. I can assure him that progress is being made on all of the headings.

I would like to reassure the committee as well that the Minister, I as Secretary General and my predecessor always wanted and had the full co-operation of the HSE in respect of any of the matters outlined. There was no failure on the part of the Department of Health in respect of these matters - they are works in progress. Dealing with issues around drug pricing is a very complex and difficult business when one is negotiating with an industry that is responsible for a very significant €40 billion a year industry in Ireland with 25,000 jobs and another 100,000 support jobs. We had to deal with these issues in a very sensitive way.

In relation to the income collection and all the other issues, in the fullness of time this committee and other committees will hear of very significant progress that has been made in these areas and I can assure the committee of our very best efforts to deal with it. The issues in relation to the funding of health care across the world are very complex and difficult.