Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Murphy. I have a few questions, Deputy Connolly may wish to speak again and Deputy Murphy may have some final questions. I will address the audit side. In the HSE's annual report and financial statement for 2016, the section dealing with the directorate members' report is on page 135 and it addresses the membership of the audit committee. The following individuals are members of the audit committee: Mr. Peter Cross, from the private sector, who is the chairman; Mr. Joe Mooney, former principal officer in the Department of Finance; Mr. John Hynes, former Secretary General of the then Department of Social Protection; Mr. David Smith, principal officer in the Department of Health; Mr. Stephen McGovern from CRH; Dr. Sheelah Ryan, public health physician and former CEO of HSE West; Professor Patricia Barker, chartered accountant, director of Tallaght hospital and former vice president of academic affairs in DCU; and Ms Anne O’Connor, the HSE's national director of mental health.

To summarise that, there are two HSE staff or former staff, three current or former civil servants and three from outside the HSE. The HSE's audit committee is for all of the HSE and not just section 38 and 39 bodies. The HSE has a throughput of €14 billion or €15 billion per annum. There are only three non-HSE or current civil servants on the audit committee. Why is the number so low? Is that in legislation? Such a big organisation would benefit from having a majority of its members not being current or former public servants or people immediately connected with the HSE. I do not get it. Independence does not jump out at me.