Mr. Tony O'Brien:

The first is that the internal financial regulations have been amended to reference the provisions of the European directives, as transposed into Irish law, so that availing of any exemptions provided for in law is understood and comprehended by the financial regulations.

The second issue is the establishment of a framework agreement. In other words, there is an issue about where an urgent requirement arises. In that situation, they went for what is often referred to as a mini-competition de novo. In future, that will not be necessary because a framework agreement has been in place since 2015 whereby a total of 18 service providers are placed on a framework. Commissioners of review within the HSE can draw down from that framework when required using what is known as the negotiated procurement procedures. Had these arrangements been in place originally, it is my opinion that Mr. Dignam would not have found fault with the procedures followed.