Dr. Geraldine Smith:

The first thing the audit identified was a parliamentary question that was tabled in 1996 regarding the payroll for Tallaght hospital. The question sought information on the payment of privately funded allowances for the CEO of Tallaght hospital and other agencies. The reply indicated that, while public pay scales had been agreed, other arrangements for work additional to the incumbent's public duties are matters solely for the agency and individual concerned. The report suggested that agencies relied on that reply to some extent because it was in the public domain.