Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 12 June 2025

Public Accounts Committee

Business of Committee

2:00 am

Photo of John BradyJohn Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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We will get clarity from the Comptroller and Auditor General on the matter raised. While awaiting clarification from the Comptroller and Auditor General, can we agree to note the listing of accounts and financial statements? Agreed. The listing of accounts and financial statements will be published as part of our minutes.

We will move on to correspondence. Correspondence issued between 28 May and 4 June was issued to committee members in advance and we will discuss items that have been flagged by members.

No. R0113 is correspondence from Children’s Health Ireland, CHI. That was issued by the CEO of CHI in response to references made at last week's PAC meeting, on 29 May 2025. I flagged this item and want to make some comments on it. At the meeting on 29 May, I confirmed that the committee had agreed to invite officials from CHI to appear before it again. I had strong views on the possibility of the committee being misled with regard to information given to it. In light of my previous queries to CHI as to whether there were any ongoing reviews, the CEO's response was that there were none. The subsequent media reports, published the weekend after the meeting, related to a report produced by CHI relating to the National Treatment Purchase Fund. I also highlighted additional items that remained to be examined by the committee, including reports of several resignations of board members. I concluded that, in consideration of these items and to provide clarity on the matter, the committee had agreed unanimously to invite the officials from CHI back at the earliest opportunity. The CEO of CHI, in her letter, clarified that the context of her response to my queries was in relation to the orthopaedic service. She also provided further information regarding what she described as inaccurate media reports relating to the National Treatment Purchase Fund and reiterated that she is open to discussing any further queries with the committee. The CHI, as we are aware, has agreed to attend a meeting with the committee on 3 July. It is vital that the report the CEO referred to be furnished to the committee prior to the meeting. I am aware that members have compiled a series of questions, which with we will deal later on, that will also be sent to CHI so answers can be given prior to our meeting on 3 July. Do any members wish to comment on this item of correspondence?