Derek Nolan (Galway West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I accept that point. Mr. O'Brien mentioned insufficient scrutiny and corporate governance.

The question no auditor will ask is whether the insufficient scrutiny was deliberate or accidental. There are too many officials from different Departments involved who went on trips and benefited from the scheme. Documentary evidence for the sanctioning of funding is missing and there is a poor audit trail, which Dr. Smith has told us before. It is not good enough to say it will not happen again. If there are people currently involved in the administration of the health service, be it through the Health Service Executive, HSE, or the Department of Health, who were involved in this, had knowledge of it and were party to it, then we cannot let it go and claim it will not happen again. There have to be sanctions.

Mr. Merrigan was demoted and eventually took early retirement. There is a Garda investigation into his actions taking place. I find it difficult to believe there was only one person who knew this was going on and that no one in the Department of Health or the HSE realised there was something suspect or was a partner to it.