Results 33,561-33,580 of 33,604 for speaker:Catherine Connolly

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: I thank Mr. Colfer. To return to IT and legal services, an issue in respect of a possible conflict of interest was mentioned earlier and what would arise if the same firm were to be advising HIQA, the health executive or third parties. I was not reassured by the answer that was given in that regard. Has a particular company of solicitors advised HIQA at the same time it has advised a...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: I understand.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: How many times has that happened?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: Ms Fitzgerald is satisfied-----

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: -----that the safeguards are in place to prevent a conflict of interest.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: I am going to stop Ms Fitzgerald. I take her reassurance on that point for the moment. She mentioned the ICT project and gave a specific figure for it in the region of €8 million.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: Does that cover everything?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: Is there an additional maintenance cost ever year?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: What will be the operating cost?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: That cost is €1 million per year.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: I am running out of time. My last question also relates to conflict of interest in the context of procurement and getting experts on board. Perhaps people who worked for different entities are now in those companies. How is that dealt with? Have the witnesses been reassured in that regard? Have any conflicts arisen?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: I will put my hands up and say I think the model is totally wrong. When we went down the road of private, for-profit nursing homes, it was a problem. We have set up structures to try to monitor that but it is the wrong model. I live in Galway. Ms Cliffe mentioned Aperee Living Galway. Aperee is also in Waterford and other places. When those places close down because they are no longer...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: Just one?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: Are they all being run by the health executive?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: With the staff that was there with the private provider?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: Is it operating with public staff there as well?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: Are public staff members working there on occasion as well?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: Did the homes in Galway that Ms Cliffe referred to have the same provider?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: Again, my difficulty is I see public health nurses in Carraroe where there are 13 beds empty and not enough staff and then we have to put staff into the private system to keep it going. It is a madness really. I do not expect the witnesses to comment on it but it is an utter madness to me and certainly is not value for money, which is our role here and it is never put into the picture. My...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Information and Quality Authority (17 Jul 2025)

Catherine Connolly: I understand all of that and I know the authority is reluctant-----