John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I understand the predicament in which the HSE finds itself - these people are consultants and it is not easy to replace them - but if this was to happen anywhere else something would be done. Someone would lose their job. However, because the taxpayer is picking up the bill everyone is fine with just an explanation. I do not wish to be personal, Mr. Mulvany, and sometimes Mr. O'Brien takes my comments personally but my comments are not personal nor are they said for political reasons. I am here to do a job and I wear my PAC hat, not my political party hat nor my opposition hat.

I find that the explanation which has gone around this room time and time again is now at a point where it is ridiculous. This is why people ask questions about the HSE and its processes. If consultants have performed operations or carried out medical procedures for which they have not claimed payment for two years then there is something seriously wrong. Why not introduce a system whereby should that form not be signed, there would be interest and penalties applied to the amount due to the consultant just as when one's taxes are not paid. As penalties are introduced and moneys are withheld from the hospital it would impact negatively on cashflow and then the patients would suffer. Patients are currently being asked to bring their own pillows and bed-linen into hospital and to clean up under their bed after previous patients. This is happening in some hospitals while at the same time there is this farcical situation that for years consultants have not signed off with one signature. Mr. O'Brien has said it is a huge task for consultants to get up to date on the process of signing off.

Then there is the other problem with the private health insurers when these old invoices arrive as there is nothing that can be done. It is probably pointless asking the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform about whether it has a plan because it probably has no plan. If the Department had a plan it might be the same plan that the HSE has, which is to chase the consultants. I do not know where this is all going to end but it is not good governance.