Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will be as brief as possible but this is a very important issue. A private company has received substantial funds for carrying out a service that is not actually being delivered, namely, the doctor on call and out of hours service in the south. The committee members may recall that Deputy Thomas Gould had corresponded with the committee on the impact this is having on the Deputy's constituents. As a result, the committee corresponded with the HSE. I am very surprised by what can only be described as a very soft response from the HSE. We are talking here about public health services and substantial funds of money invested. In the HSE briefing there are references to using mechanisms within the service arrangements, but there is no indication as to what these might be or how developed they are. I suggest the committee advise the HSE that we wish to speak with it on the matter when the HSE representatives come before the committee in the coming weeks, and to ask for a more substantive response on how the HSE intends to account for this. It indicates the HSE was advised, following a board of directors meeting on 30 March, that the Blackpool and Listowel treatment centres would remain closed for the duration of level 5 restrictions. Level 5 is, essentially, over now, so the people of those communities deserve answers on when their services will be delivered. More importantly, this committee deserves answers on how we are spending money on a contract that is not being fulfilled.