Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 19 December 2013

Public Accounts Committee

2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 38 - Health
Vote 39 - Health Service Executive
Section 38 - Agencies Remuneration

12:55 pm

Photo of Mary Lou McDonaldMary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Certainly and that is the position as and from three months ago and no doubt, that is what the Department will seek to achieve going forward. I am not questioning that. We are now looking back on arrangements that were struck, payments that were made and contracts that were signed in the past. I am suggesting to Dr. McLoughlin, as is validated in the audited report, that there was ambiguity for whatever reason - whether that ambiguity was contrived or not is another kettle of fish. There was also a degree of knowledge within the system that these practices were occurring and there was a level of discussion about and approval of those payments.