Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The next item of correspondence is from the National Treatment Purchase Fund.

No. 2248B is a reply from the chief executive officer of the National Treatment Purchase Fund stating that a new patient access management system went live on 23 May in all public and private hospitals, which took longer than anticipated to implement. The new system will facilitate the earlier finalisation of draft accounts and ensure timely submission of annual financial statements in future. The CEO says the organisation will be ready for audit in July, after which we will get an update.

At this point, given that we have covered so much this morning and the witnesses are waiting, I propose that we note the remaining replies relating to overdue financial statements and then hold over the remaining correspondence until the next day. No. 2237B is a reply from the president of Letterkenny Institute of Technology indicating that its financial statements were submitted to the Comptroller and Auditor General on 3 May and explaining the reason for the delay. No. 2235B is a letter from Mr. Derek Moran, Secretary General of the Department of Finance, referring to a number of accounts under the Department's remit which had not been submitted when we wrote to him. He indicates that the sundry moneys deposit account was sent for audit on 13 May and, on 14 May, financial statements for the hepatitis C special account, the hepatitis C reparation account and the local loans fund were sent.

I received additional replies last night from several other bodies in response to our letter regarding overdue financial statements. I note them now and we will circulate and publish them next week. One was from the State Examinations Commission, in respect of which I had particular concerns. It is a detailed letter indicating that draft financial statements were submitted to the Comptroller and Auditor General on 31 May.

I also have a letter from the Discovery Programme - Centre for Archaeology and Innovation Ireland. I am not sure which Department is responsible for that programme.