Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this issue today.

I am advised that the Saolta University Health Care Group has not paid any invoices for external communications support since the start of this year. As outlined to the Senator last week, Saolta University Health Care Group awarded a contract for communications support at the beginning of the year following a competitive tendering process. The first invoice will fall due for payment at the end of the first quarter of 2015, but has not fallen due yet.

The Saolta University Health Care Group has not been provided with staff to deal with communication matters by the HSE. It receives a very large number of press queries and needs to be resourced to answer these. The cost to hospitals in any part of the country of unbalanced, incomplete or inaccurate information in the public domain can be considerable and it can also result in avoidable worry and anxiety for patients and their families and unfair reputational damage to front-line staff.

Irrespective of whether health bodies use money for PR in-house or externally, the spending is not so that public bodies can look good to the taxpayer, but often just to manage and respond to the enormous number of media and public queries that are directed at the health service. If they are not responded to, the consequences of misinformation and incomplete information can be enormous reputational damage to front-line staff and hospitals, and can cause enormous anxiety for patients and their families. That is why it is done. It is not done in an effort to look good to taxpayers. It is more of a case of getting information and the truth out there.

I am advised that Setanta Communications provides media services to Saolta. Its fees in 2014 came to €137,760 plus VAT.There was an interim arrangement whereby a member of the HSE west communications team was provided on a part-time basis to support the group.

However this has not been in place since August 2014. The Saolta University Healthcare Group has advertised internally for dedicated communications personnel and is awaiting the outcome of the recruitment process.

I am advised that Saolta University Healthcare Group has made a public commitment to use the most cost-effective way of making its new identity known to the public and health sector. For example, stationary stocks, signage and existing branding will be used until stocks run out and replacement opportunities occur and will then be replaced with the new logo at that time. Saolta University Healthcare Group is also availing of cost free opportunities such as photo opportunities.

Given the current financial constraints the health service is subject to, I would like to emphasise again the importance this Government places on ensuring that our health service provides value for money in all spending.

In respect of the other matter raised by the Senator, I understand the investigation is still ongoing and I do not have a further update on it.