Mr. Dean Sullivan:

As I recall the question that was asked was whether there was any input from any third parties in making the change to having a separate strategy and planning arm within the organisation, distinct from an operations delivery arm and a clinical arm but all three working in an integrated way. I talked about my understanding that there was certainly a discussion between the Department and the top of the HSE on what it was trying to achieve and that in due course thereafter the advertising of the two posts to date, mine and the deputy director general of operations post, went through the full Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Public Appointments Service, PAS, process. Unless I have missed seeing it, there was no formal approval from the Department of the structure. It was one of many matters that would have been discussed with the Department at the time. I am sure there would have been approval in writing from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for the two posts.