Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

All procedures will be followed so that the full facts may be known. The problem is with administration expenses and other expenses that were drawn up for a programme intended to provide career paths for up to 32,000 care assistants and others in the health service, 9,000 of whom have already participated. The programme itself, and its use by staff to enable them to upgrade their skills and move along a career path through the various grades of the health service, is in itself a good thing. If there are issues with regard to administrative aspects and bodies that obtained grants in aid, that is a matter that must be further investigated based on the internal audit thus far, which should be allowed to proceed.

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