Derek Nolan (Galway West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Two issues arise that are particularly contentious. The first is that all this information was coming into the media and SIPTU was being hammered in the public mind. After listening to SIPTU's representatives this morning and reading the report, it appears it had nothing to do with the operation of this account. The representatives stated that they asked for a copy of the HSE's internal audit report but Dr. Smith refused to give it to them. They were therefore unable to fight the allegations and were being pummelled by the press without being in a position to fight back.

Second, there was an issue with these two payments of €190,000 which SIPTU says it kept assuring the HSE it had not received, and yet the HSE kept pressing SIPTU for it and insisting it was there. The Comptroller and Auditor General's report found that SIPTU was correct and those two payments did not go to SIPTU.