Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 2 February 2016

Public Accounts Committee

HSE Report on Foster Home in Waterford Community Care Area: Discussion

12:00 pm

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

Well, it will be. Whoever is in the House after the election will have to pursue it. I respect the position Mr. O'Brien is taking and, as I said, I encourage him to continue with speed down that road. That brings me to the point made by Deputy McFadden. I was asked a question about our remit on the radio and Deputy Deasy quoted me.

It started with the whole question of costs. It is a €13.5 billion fund of taxpayers' money that is given to the Health Service Executive, HSE, and in purchasing the services such as we are describing here or in the procurement process for that service, it is the duty of this committee to hold the HSE to account in terms of the spending of that taxpayers' money so I hold that we are well within the remit. We have strayed into the care of individuals but that is only because dealing with this and with procurement and governance has led us here. That is why we are here. I am saying that, Deputy McFadden, because there needs to be clarity around this. There are those exotic creatures outside the House who might like to describe our work differently, but I believe we are doing it well within our remit.

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