Mr. Barry O'Brien:

I refer Deputy Robert Dowds to the internal audit report which sets out the fact that the Department of Health wrote to the HSE's HR director on five occasions between February 2011 and October 2012 to establish the levels of compliance. On 24 February 2011 the Department of Health asked the HSE HR director to write to all section 38 agencies confirming that no employees were in receipt of remuneration greater than the level approved by the Minister for Health or to provide details of any such unapproved payment. Two weeks later on 8 March the HSE national HR directorate wrote to the CEO and secretary or manager of 45 section 38 agencies funded by the HSE. Responses were received from all except two. On 30 March the HSE national HR directorate provided the Department of Health with details of the replies received from the section 38 agencies. From 24 February to 30 March 2011 the HSE wrote to all the agencies and supplied all of the replies received to the Department.