Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am accountable to the House for my role as Minister for Health. I do not have some of the answers nor would I be expected to in respect of some of the questions Deputy Bríd Smith asked. I refer in particular to the awarding of a contract in 2008 by the HSE or the screening programmes. Other witnesses will appear before the Joint Committee on Health tomorrow. They will be much more versed in that than I would be, should be or would be expected to be. I have to clarify an issue. I heard on a number of occasions in recent days a call for me to publish the audit report. That suggests people think there is a report sitting somewhere that needs to be published. My understanding and what I am informed - there is a caveat in that - is that the 2014 audit and, indeed, any of the audits refer to audits of individual women's smear tests as opposed to an audit report. I certainly do not have within my possession, nor does my Department, any audit report or document that could or should be published.

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