Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I understand the disclosures from Mr. Corr were made directly to the Committee of Public Accounts, which has considered them. We engage with general issues around value for money within the health system all of the time. If I were to identify any area of Government expenditure that is the subject of high levels of focus from my Department, it would be the expenditure within the Department of Health. That is simply because its expenditure levels have grown so much in recent years. The issues to which it is responding are complex and very demanding. We help the Department and work with it on the use of money. I know the Office of Government Procurement would like to play a greater role in procurement practices in the HSE as they relate to the sourcing of goods and, at times, services by different hospitals. As the Chair knows, in many cases hospitals still have independent management structures. We do a lot of work with the HSE and the Department of Health in this regard.