Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

I am quite happy to speak on or off the record, but I am giving the Senator the facts. The board met on 1 June and the company was selected. Under the rules that must be observed, there is a 14-day cooling off period to allow other companies to raise objections to the appointment, which will be completed within two days. The name of the company will be made known, as will the costs of employing it. The contract is over a two-year period, but it is not open-ended, and there was a cap on what the HSE could spend on the process.

This is the first time we have embarked on a scheme of this magnitude. The HSE indicated it was not in a position to administer the scheme on its own. There will be checks and balances in place and a number of reports will have to be presented before the Minister. The council will also be audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General.