Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Cullen for coming before the committee. Like my colleagues, I am very disappointed that representatives of St. Vincent's hospital did not appear before the this committee today. I have read the Beacon Hospital's procurement policy and it reads very well. Mr. Cullen referred to the supply chain management team maintaining confidentiality of all prices and terms and conditions of vendor agreements. In his submission there is a reference to "prohibiting gratuities and favours from vendors, and preventing the release of confidential information". The policy reads well. I note Mr. Cullen's statement that while he was happy that the policies and procedures in terms of procurement were robust, he looked forward to receiving the findings of the internal investigation. If the policy and procedures were so robust, why did it take "Prime Time" to go in and blow it out of the water? In the preceding years, did Mr. Cullen ever contemplate that this could happen? It is written into the hospital's procedures. Had it ever happened in the past? What procedures would the hospital have been taking in the previous five years to ensure that nothing like this happened on Mr. Cullen's watch?