Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If the HSE submits a bill, it must wait approximately five months to be paid by an insurance company.

In layman's terms, why is €74 million outstanding and how does the HSE propose to address the issue? Given the information provided by the witnesses, the HSE would not be required to make front line cuts if the bills were paid. They stated that front line services would be cut by €58 million, non-front line services would be cut by €72 million and the remainder would be made up by generic drugs, etc. Our job is to examine the figures and question management. How in the name of God is €74 million sitting around in unsigned forms on hospital consultants' desks at a time when the HSE is announcing cuts of €8 million to home help services and a further €50 million in cuts before the end of the year?