Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We need to write to the HSE. Deputy Munster has asked a good question. We know that the Government invited the world and its mother to apply for PPPs in a list of locations throughout the country. That was a policy decision but we can ask the HSE to set out the criteria that were used. I would love to see the whole-life cost of a PPP. If it is a 20-year contract, how much is it going to cost over the 20 years? That is more important than what is paid upfront or what was paid in the first three years. The Deputy will be aware that PPPs have caused enormous difficulty for this committee because there is a deliberate policy of not adequately reviewing them. Departments often wait for several years when it is too late to have any meaningful contribution. Also, because PPPs involve private companies, this committee does not have access them, even though there is substantial State funding involved. This committee has decided, and reaffirmed on a couple of occasions, that it will never note a Department's accounts for any year if there is a substantial amount of a PPP in the Vote because we cannot get behind what is in the PPP. I know that members will not sign off on any Department's accounts when we are prevented from examining how taxpayers' money is being used. It raises a big issue and there is clearly a lack of public accountability here. The Deputy's questions are correct. We will do that in parallel with the Comptroller and Auditor General. If he covers it, well and good but if our correspondence raises a nuance that his report does not cover-----