Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Some of these issues are the remit of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health rather than the Committee of Public Accounts. As regards waiting lists and the projection of needs, some people are unable to even get onto waiting lists, which is a further impediment. I ask Mr. Connaghan to arrange for the committee to be sent a note detailing where the problems are in that regard. He stated that assessment of needs provision is satisfactory in some parts of the country but not in others. I wish to know which areas are performing well and where there are gaps because the issue is increasingly being raised in my area and I wish to compare services in different areas. What steps does Mr. Connaghan intend to take to address the issue and in what timeframe will that be done?

On procurement, in a sampling exercise the Comptroller and Auditor General found evidence of a lack of competitive procurement. Some €700 million or €800 million could be saved through a competitive procurement process. I note that in his opening statement Mr. Connaghan referred to successful tender outcomes, particularly in the utilities category. That is very welcome because it shows that savings are possible. Is the lack of competitive procurement included on the HSE risk register? What measures are being taken to address it?