Dr. Ambrose McLoughlin:

I have no evidence whatever of any impropriety on the part of the Department of Health in respect of these matters. As to any suggestion of informal sanction, there is no such thing as informal sanction. A matter is either sanctioned or it is not sanctioned. We are dealing with public money, and either there is a piece of paper or there is not. What I have said - I want Deputy McDonald to understand this - is that I would be very happy to receive evidence to the contrary. If it is available, it should be sent to me immediately and I will interrogate it. I wish to make absolutely clear that there was an agency in place prior to the Health Service Executive, namely, the Eastern Regional Health Authority, which, to the best of my recollection, operated from 1 January 2000 and would have dealt directly with the voluntary sector. I have had an exhaustive trawl carried out in my Department and I can find no evidence of informal arrangements. In fairness to public servants who have served the State, I need to make this point on the record.