Ms Mo Flynn:

On the issue of contracting services, we are in what is ostensibly a contractual relationship with the HSE. As an organisation that contracts with many other bodies in this jurisdiction and outside it, the essential difference in the relationship is that in other contractual relationships we are in a position where we can build in the costs relating to running the service, employment, pensions and so on for our employees as well as being able to build in sufficient margin to develop our services. As not-for-profit organisations, we are not putting out money back for shareholders but rather back into services. Our relationship with the HSE is as described earlier where we are informed "This is the money you got last year and this is the money we are giving you this year". The room to increase funding to drive a surplus to sustain an organisation into the future for all of those areas is not there.