Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I wish to comment, without referring to the specifics of the letter, considering it is an issue about St. Vincent's Healthcare Group. I am sure that many members are continuing to receive - as I am - anonymous letters relating to the St. Vincent's Healthcare Group. I would ask that it not just be referred to the St. Vincent's Healthcare Group but also referred to the HSE.

St. Vincent's Healthcare Group was possibly lucky - for want of a better term - in the sense that a delegation came here on the same day as the CRC. As a result, after a lengthy, explosive, shocking and upsetting meeting with the CRC, St. Vincent's attended here in the afternoon when, I suppose, members and possibly the public were jaded from revelations. There were very serious issues raised about St. Vincent's at that meeting and in the aftermath of that meeting. The one that most particularly sticks in my mind is the issue of the consultants' contract and the potential loss of income to the public hospital as a result. I do not feel that the matter has been satisfactorily addressed.

I shall make the broader point now, the one that I had asked permission from the Vice Chairman to make later. The HSE told us very clearly that the deadline for the 44 section 38 bodies - of which St. Vincent's is one - to sign up to be compliant with public sector pay policy was Friday, 31 January. There was an internal audit, based on which we were working, published on 15 March last year and sent to this committee on 14 November. This committee has done some very valuable work regarding some of those 44 organisations. Possibly as a result of the CRC situation becoming so dominant, many of the 44 section 38 bodies were not in compliance and serious issues were raised. We received an update from the HSE on 6 November which said that at least 27 of the organisation either were not compliant, had only issued a holding letter or had indicated that they were seeking legal advice. There has been a dearth of information from the HSE in the time that has passed. I have serious concerns about a number - we did not even reach the issues in the National Maternity Hospital - and want to know whether they are going to be resolved.