Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The HSE employs more than 135,000 people. The fact that its own internal audit and risk management committees have not identified this or presented adequate information on the inadequacies around financial management and good governance in respect of procurement is something that the committee probably needs to evaluate. Every organisation upgrades its systems. We are in a digital age in how we manage procurement. I am sure, with all the co-operation in this country, that there are management tools available. As the Comptroller and Auditor General discussed, the point is to get the knowledge on these tools in order that, however long this committee remains in session over the term of this Dáil, we get visibility on how progress is going. If that starts at a community level or a primary care level or on a phased basis, we need to be aware of that. It would probably make our lives a lot easier. As Deputy MacSharry said of the procurement contracts that went out in the early part of the Covid pandemic, we are talking about billions of euro spent on PPE. Again, the value for money in those contracts needs to be assessed.