Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)

I thank the Minister for the answer, which was really about the industrial relations processes around agreements and outsourcing. I am asking what financial controls and monitoring are in place. There is a myriad of examples of what should be public services being outsourced with detrimental outcomes for the users. We saw this week the National Treatment Purchase Fund has created perverse incentives. There are hundreds of examples of these. Emergency care for vulnerable teenagers is one. There are private companies getting contracts of between €10,000 and €15,000 per week to provide one placement with staff that are not trained in accommodation where there is no cutlery in the kitchens, where the bedsheets are not cleaned and where the teenager is brought to the Centra every evening to buy a chicken roll for dinner. Companies are making huge money from this service that should be provided by the State. Emergency measures are put in place and, years later, are still in place. What controls are there are on this misuse of public money which should be providing high-quality services that people need?

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