Dr. Geraldine Smith:

As members know, according to the internal audit report, the HSE was engaged in a process between February 2011 and May 2012 - this was a human resources function - in writing to the various section 38 agencies.

Between those dates, HR in the HSE wrote on five occasions. On the first occasion the question was to ask if they were in compliance with remuneration and if remuneration greater than the approved level was being paid. St. Vincent's confirmed that it complied with the salary scales approved by the Department of Health and the Minister for Health. Fast forwarding up to the audit, when I wrote to St. Vincent's, among others, on 3 July 2012, it confirmed the information it had provided to HR. It stated that there were three managers who were paid by the company for work carried out over and above their public service contract which was funded from private company resources, not from HSE or foundation income. It stated that "as public funds are not involved it is not appropriate to give further details of payments made." I wrote again in December 2012 and again in January 2013 it confirmed the same thing, stating that as these three individuals are paid for work over and above their public service contract, it was not appropriate to disclose that information.