Ms Marie Mulvihill:

Additional oversight arrangements were put in place for the health sector in January. One of these was the establishment of a new health budget oversight group, which is an official group that meets on a monthly basis. We also receive monthly financial management reports based on the Cabinet committee briefings. In addition, an arrangement is in place whereby the Department of Health gives a memorandum to Government on a quarterly basis outlining the financial management for the health sector. The budget oversight group is chaired at assistant secretary level by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and includes representatives from that Department, the Department of Health and the HSE. We have met five times so far and are due to meet again next week. The purpose of the group is to facilitate a timely flow of information and to act as an early warning mechanism. It was established in consequence of the provision of the Supplementary Estimate last year and the budgetary implications of that additional allocation.