Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

There is a number of subjects one could raise today, including the price of cars. I would like to get closure on several matters, the first of which may be of relevance to the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children. The Taoiseach is aware, as it has been raised before during Leaders' Questions, that the famous PPARS project has cost more than €160 million of public money. Much of the focus on this has gone back to two major consultancy firms and the fees they received. However, the sorry story of the PPARS project is not just confined to large consultancy companies. Following a number of months of investigation into this, I have learned that 14 companies were paid almost €7 million in respect of staff recruited for the PPARS project.

One of those companies, known as Blackmore Group Assets Limited, received €2 million from the HSE in respect of the recruitment of seven staff. We all know about accountability and transparency. Blackmore Group Assets Limited is not registered in this State or in the United Kingdom. It uses a privately owned trust company in Guernsey to bill the HSE; I have invoices here. Blackmore Group Assets Limited is a shelf company with no substance. When these points were put to the HSE last week for investigation, it insisted that Blackmore is a United Kingdom based recruitment company. The HSE refused to accept the onshore connections or that there are any tax implications in the way Blackmore Group Assets Limited has been paid.

My charge is that the HSE either does not know about this, is incompetent about this or has failed to come clean about it. Although some Ministers might consider €2 million a small amount of money, it was public money paid to a company I cannot trace. I cannot identify any of the directors or where they are located beyond having an address of a shelf company in Guernsey. I am concerned that Irish law should be fully adhered to, that Irish tax law is fully complied with and that the public should know who is getting paid its money for the recruitment of staff.

I do not suggest that the staff recruited were unable to do the job. However, I would like to know the situation in respect of this particular shelf company registered in Guernsey. If the Taoiseach has all the information from the Tánaiste, I hope he can answer these questions. Who are the directors of this company, where are they located and what background check was done on them? Why did they receive €2 million of public money when nobody can trace their location?

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