Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The advisor to the Minister for Health has been an advisor since February of this year. Her job is to give the Minister advice in the best interests of the health service, in which she is an expert. In 2005, this person took on a role as a consultant to Zehnacker, a German company providing a range of services to health services and other areas in a number of European countries. That company provided services such as catering, cleaning, facility management and so on. In June 2010, Zehnacker merged with the multinational company Sedexo. It is Sedexo that is the parent company of Comfort Keepers. The advisor to the Minister was never involved with the new aspect of that business venture.

I am also advised that the HSE has confirmed that the recently concluded tender for certain home care services has been carried out strictly in accordance with all appropriate EU legislation.

It should be noted that the outcome of this tender process will not impact on existing service providers and will only apply to any new home care packages to be assigned during the lifetime of the agreement. The fundamental motivation for the tender was the introduction of improved standards for enhanced home care services for clients nationwide. The tender is due for review in 2013.

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