Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

May I make a suggestion? The witnesses may not be in a position to answer today. A matter was mentioned in our report but has not been included in their briefing note on the recommendations arising from that report. We recommended that, when signing a contract with agencies, the HSE ask them to include people's PPS numbers, thus enabling the HSE to carry out its policy. This is an important issue. At a time when we are reducing numbers, people are leaving college seeking employment in the health service and should not be deprived because of someone who is earning a second income. If the witnesses considered this matter and reverted to us at a future meeting, I would be grateful.

Turning to our report, Mr. Tony O'Brien told the committee in October: "I believe that the absence of contemporary accounting systems - unified accounting systems of the type one would expect to see in an organisation of this size and complexity - is a significant contributory factor to that challenge". He was referring to budgetary and financial management. Appropriately, he made the point that everyone was viewing the health service at a time of declining budgets and was trying to attribute all of its financial and budgetary problems to same. However, the HSE has rarely, if ever, lived within budget. I listened to Mr. Tony O'Brien and read the briefing notes. How many legacy systems is the HSE still depending on? How would he like to see a unified approach progressing?