Mr. Stephen Mulvany:

It was because we do not have sufficient resources. As an organisation that is largely a provider of social and health care services, we were prioritising the provision of service staff and front-line staff. In a different question on those 45 staff, I might be asked why the number of clerical and administrative staff has increased. Those 45 procurement staff - albeit they are professionals in procurement and they are essential - are not regarded as front-line clinical staff. They are in the cohort of administration and clerical staff. The question of why is answered.

Deputy Connolly referred to things worsening based on the 2015 report, which stated that non-compliance was 30%, and the 2016 report, which stated that non-compliance was 49%. This is derived from looking at the sample. The significant difference between those two figures is that when the 2015 audit was done, our national agency contract was still live. When the 2016 audit was done, that contract had run out of time. We were putting in place its replacement. We were delayed on that.

Let us consider the €16 million relating to non-compliance. In 2016, the Comptroller and Auditor General looked at an adjusted value of €31 million. A total of €16 million of that was non-compliant. Of that €16 million a total of €4 million was agency contract. We now have in place a national agency contract. Had we not been delayed on that-----