Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Mr. Watt does not think so, okay.

The matter of this issue being flagged up in financial statements has come up and many people find it odd that it was not in the HSE’s financial statements. In fairness to Mr. Watt, this was before Mr. Watt’s time in the Department. He was in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform at the time. The committee addressed this issue at a hearing in September 2011. It was flagged up by committee members who found it odd that a potential liability of €1 billion was not in the financial statements. They outlined their concern about that in respect of public accountability, etc. The then Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. John Buckley, was asked what his opinion was on this by the Chair. When asked to comment Mr. Buckley stated:

There is really nothing to add. The policy has been set by the Minister. The accounts are framed on the basis of the Minister's directions and accounting policies.

Mr. Watt is charged with overseeing the HSE whose financial statements he would scrutinise. As a former Secretary General in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, does he have a view of this? Would it be normal that a liability of that size would not be in the HSE's financial statements?