Mr. Shane McQuillan:

It was stated in the final report from September of last year that much of the original procurement process documentation, from ten or more years ago, was incomplete. Much of it was missing and we could not get many of the documents regarding the procurement issues at the time. We do not know when the criteria were set as they were, but it is surprising that a qualitative criterion of 40% would be reduced to 15%. That suggests the service was seen more as a commodity than as something driven by quality. It is surprising that it was at such a low level.

As Dr. Scally mentioned earlier, we have been engaging recently with the HSE to look at the implementation of the recommendations from September of last year. We believe there is now a much greater focus within the HSE on the qualitative aspects of the tests, both in the arrangements it is currently entering into with laboratories and in the inspections and detailed work it is undertaking to visit sites and examine the arrangements in place. It is fair to say that the HSE has learned its lessons. As to why things happened ten years ago, much of that insight has been lost in the absence of documentation.