Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I accept that. I was equally as concerned about those hospitals with which the HSE had a service level agreement and the taxpayer ultimately was paying, even though the hospital in question might not directly have been operated by the HSE.

When Mr. Swords met Eurosurgical Limited, I presume he started off by stating the HSE wanted its money back and that he sought a refund. Has he discussed the issue of a refund where there was overcharging?

I will make another point about the HSE's procurement. In a situation such as this the HSE has tied itself in, with the effect that it cannot approach any other supplier in the world. Into what kind of procurement contract did the HSE enter that did not allow it, when there was prima facieabuse by the supplier in terms of price, to have a way out and the option of cancelling the contract and move to some other supplier in Switzerland, Germany or the United States? How can the HSE still be tied to it?

The supplier ran rings around the HSE. It could do what it liked and the HSE could not breach the contract.