Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

I am not aware of any Department having been punished for late payments. Broadly speaking, the record is quite good. The Minister is determined to extend it to other public service bodies, including local authorities and the HSE. Local authorities report a 30-day average for payments while the HSE stands at a 45-day average. It has already agreed to reduce this to a 30-day limit.

The issue for the Minister is to decide whether this 30-day average should be shortened. The best option in the meantime is to achieve an average somewhere between what is required of central government and the current 30-day average.

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