Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 11 May 2023
Public Accounts Committee
Appropriation Accounts 2021
Financial Statements 2021: HSE
Special Report No. 114 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Emergency Procurement of Ventilators by the HSE
Vote 38 - Health
9:30 am
Mr. Stephen Mulvany:
First, the flash report sets out the basis of reporting generally. Second, it tells - specifically about ventilators - the basis for the expenditure reported; that is, ventilators actually received. Third, in note 12 it clearly said on 27 March that the full €73 million was committed. Finally, as I said earlier, in hindsight would I prefer if we had also put a cash payment amount in there? Yes. That would not be normal in accounting terms. Do I believe anyone was actually misled? No. Was there any intention to mislead? Absolutely not.