Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I do not expect the Taoiseach to be able to give answers on all the minutiae of this matter. When I submitted a freedom of information request on this issue last July, the Health Service Executive responded by giving certain information. The Tánaiste subsequently gave further information, which had been made available to her by the HSE, in response to a parliamentary question.

If the HSE had been a private company, questions would have been asked in the House about payments being made to accounts in the Channel Islands. The response of the HSE has been to state that the company in question was a recruitment agency based in the UK. It has been confirmed to me by the UK crown office that the Channel Islands are crown dependencies and not parts of the United Kingdom. An invoice for €4,900 issued by Blackmore Group Assets Limited gives the address and e-mail address of the company, but nothing else. Nobody in this House, the Department of Health and Children or the HSE can pinpoint who the directors of the company are. Who checked the company out? Why did it receive public money of €2 million for the recruitment of seven personnel? If we are in the business of spending taxpayers' money on the recruitment of personnel, surely we can find out where the money went and why €2 million was paid to a shelf company.

It is understandable that the Taoiseach would not have all the answers when answering questions in the House, but I would like him to be fully acquainted with all the facts of this case. The Tánaiste, who may have all the answers, should put such information on the record so that people can know to whom their hard-earned taxes are being paid.

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