Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Mr. Connaghan gets the point. We want a bit of clarity on that.

Deputy Cullinane mentioned the consultants' contract and the enforcement issue which led to the private security people's actions. This came up at the committee in February. I subsequently asked the Minister for Health a parliamentary question about whose job it was to ensure the consultants comply with their contract. The reply I received from the Minister on 14 February said it was the responsibility of management to make sure these contracts are enforced. Mr. Connaghan gave us some details about the percentage of inpatient discharges that are private versus public. If the HSE's managers had been doing their job, there would have been no need to hire private security firms. It looks as if when the HSE went to court, it could not prove its case around the mix of public and private because its hospital managers were not doing their job to start with. It could not verify or stand over them, which is why it had to go to an external source.

What robust measures are in place to ensure hospital managers make sure the consultants comply with the contracts in their area? The HSE sent a detailed note about the role of the clinical director, the responsibility of the hospital CEO, the responsibility of the group CEO and the responsibility of the national director. Much of it seems to have fallen on the hospital CEO. Formal arrangements should be in place with the clinical directors to review and report on individual contract performance across compliance with contracted hours as set out in the practice plan. Is that happening in each hospital? We have been here before and were told circulars had been sent out so we all assumed they were being implemented. We cannot assume anything.