David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Here is the problem for Mr. Daly. This was a meeting that was discussing pricing. The word "boycott" was used, or at least that is what we were told. I refer to Mr. Paul Rochford. The media reports that the threat of not taking in new admissions from the acute hospitals is a potentially very powerful lobbying tool, that as a lobbying group the biggest threat Nursing Homes Ireland, NHI, and its members have is ceasing admissions and new beds. The word "boycott" was used and the word "lobbying" was used several times. Legal figures advised against going down this route and that it could give rise to a dawn raid by the CCPC. Given that he was chair of HIQA, for Mr. McEnery to be at a meeting where the discussion was going that way was problematic for Mr. Daly.

I will finish on this, because I will not get any response from Mr. Daly. Mr. Daly has raised more concerns for the Committee of Public Accounts today than he has dealt with questions. I note instances where a witness appears before the committee, even in a voluntary capacity, and they do not answer questions. There is a very real public interest in this issue. The content of this meeting has been reported in the media several times, and Mr. Daly had an opportunity today to clear up some issues. He could have said that the word "boycott" was not used, if indeed it was not. That would have cleared that up. However, he is not in a position to do so, which I think speaks volumes. I think we will have to come back to it at some point.