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

My apologies to the Chairman but this is almost the biggest bill the taxpayer has to pay. The IPHA is a federation for some of the suppliers. It comes in and talks to the HSE. Would the HSE not be better off talking to all the companies on a one-to-one basis because it would strike a better deal? If there are 20 companies, the HSE can separate them and work one off against the other as opposed to them all coming together as part of the one federation and agreeing not to step on each other's toes and to send in somebody who is not working for any of the companies. I have said here previously that we are setting prices that the taxpayer will pay without any direct contact with the people from whom we are buying. I will cite an example I used previously. It is like the Minister wanting to deal with the banks about an issue and talking to the Irish Bankers' Federation instead of the banks. The HSE is talking to a little association that is put between it and the companies. Does Mr. Hennessy get the point? Yet the HSE is dealing with some companies on a one-to-one basis.