Mr. Seamus McCarthy:

The latest piece of work we have done relating to HSE oversight of grant-funded bodies was in last year's annual report. The committee examined that chapter last October. The committee may have reported its consideration of that report.

The internal audit work on this particular section 38 body looked back at the period 2012 to 2014. While it may seem that there has not been much reaction, I certainly feel that a better effort is being made by the HSE to get on top of the oversight issue. Earlier I mentioned the tightening of controls as a result of the committee's consideration of the levy fund. The complete effect of that tightening up has not worked its way through the system for the time period that the internal audit was looking at. One of the things we have been pushing with the HSE is for it to acknowledge that there are problems and to outline the steps it is taking. Each year in the statement on internal financial control it has acknowledged that weaknesses have been brought to its attention by my office and by its own internal audit and that it is making better efforts. It still has things to fix and it will take more time to achieve tighter control in that area, but I do believe that it is happening, that the HSE has engaged with the matter and that it is trying to deal with it at a systemic level.