Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is an issue in the annual report of the HSE that is mentioned in the Comptroller and Auditor General's report. In simple English, there was an overpayment for medical cards amounting to between €3 million and €5 million. With all of the difficulties in the health service, instead of just noting the account, we should write to the HSE now requesting that it quantify the amount of money that has been paid in respect of those 14,000 cards. I know the HSE has made cuts and I will not make a speech about its cuts to front-line services, but if it were not paying out that €4 million or €5 million, maybe to people who are back in employment or have emigrated and are no longer legally entitled to a medical card, it could use it for other purposes. The committee cannot gloss over the matter. I request that we decline to note the account and seek an explanation from the HSE, asking it to quantify the amount and explain how it will rectify the matter.