Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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All I can say is that it is a good thing I did not go for what George W. Bush would call a bathroom break. The Minister knows what this motion is about. Serious concerns have been raised in the media and by others about the award of contracts for the provision of information technology services to the group of hospitals in the HSE north-west region recently. The group has been rebranded Saolta.
It has been reported that a contract to provide information technology for patient care management, among other things, was awarded to Northgate Public Services, a British company. The value of the contract has not been disclosed by the HSE. The Irish Timeshas reported that a senior member of management with Saolta was previously a consultant with that company. The contract is presumably valuable given that it covers the major hospitals in the north western and western region. It is also clear from The Irish Timesreport in question that Northgate was the only company invited to bid for the contract.
The Minister is well aware that we have had a problem previously in respect of this hospital group and tendering for contracts, specifically in the context of a report on maternity services. In that case only one party was invited to bid and the successful party had a connection with the then chairperson of the west north-west hospital group. The consultancy was called D & F Health Partnership. It was awarded the contract and the then chairman, Mr. Noel Daly, later resigned his post as chairman of the west north-west hospital group.
The Minister's predecessor, Deputy James Reilly, told the House on 28 May that a review by the HSE found the procurement of services from the D & F Health Partnership consultancy was not in accordance with internal regulations.
The question is what has happened in respect of the Northgate contract. Several questions need to be answered. What was the value of the contract for information technology services awarded to Northgate? In light of whatever the value was, did the tendering processes follow correct procedure? I understand there was an earlier contract with Northgate which was then extended. Were tendering processes followed correctly at all times?
Were the Department of Health and the then Minister aware of the possible tendering anomalies to which I am referring in the context of Northgate when the other issue about the maternity services was raised in the Seanad? If so, why was no advertence made to potential anomalies with the Northgate contract when the Minister dealt with the previous issue in this House? This is important, particularly considering the Minister gave an assurance that there would be no further breaches in respect of procurement matters. If the Minister knew at the time that there had already been a significant breach, his not adverting to that fact raises a serious issue. If any such breach happened subsequently, what does that say about the attitude of this particular hospital group to the question of appropriate tendering and procurement requirements? Any conflict of interest or commercial connection in respect of any member of senior management of those hospitals raises serious issues.
It is being reported that the current chief executive of Saolta, Mr. Bill Maher, is the party who has or had some commercial arrangement through consultancy with Northgate. He is due to finish his term as chief executive of the west north-west hospital group at the end of this year.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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Please refrain from naming people on the record of the House.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I understand. He is due to go on to the north-eastern region. If there has been any issue about tendering either before the then Minister, Deputy Reilly, came to the House last May or since, it raises questions about his ability to transfer to the role in the north-east region. At the least-----

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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You are referring to Members.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I am no longer referring to him. This is in the public domain.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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A person can be identified.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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At the very least, it seems that there should be a suspension of any such appointment until we have full clarity and assurance that nothing inappropriate has taken place.
I am in the unusual position of having a fair idea of what the Minister is going to say because of what happened yesterday when this matter was due to be taken, unless the script has changed since then. I look forward to the Minister's response but I am bound to say that it is not appropriate to hide behind the fact that there is some kind of audit currently under way. If a matter is sub judicethere can be no reference to individual facts that may impinge on a court case and so on. However, the fact that the HSE might be engaging in some kind of audit to see exactly what happened in respect of this particular tendering contract is no argument against providing specific answers to specific questions about factual issues and arrangements that I have presented. I look forward to the Minister's response.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I wish to put on the record my thanks to Senator O'Brien for giving way on this occasion. However, I wish to put on the record of the House my concern at the way Adjournment matters are being handled. I go out of my way to come here in person as much as I can. I figure I am in the Seanad probably twice a week and, if not, then for three or four sessions a week. Yesterday there were three Adjournment matters which I spent some time preparing for. Then, the House went into disarray and recess and the three Adjournment matters fell. Today, I was informed my matter would be take at 6 p.m. This was changed to 7.30 p.m. and then it was changed again to 8 p.m. I am dealing with an important issue relating to Áras Attracta and as much time as possible needs to be set aside for that. As a result of the-----

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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That particular issue was being debated in the House. The time was extended. That is what happened.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I know that, but there must be a better way to order the House. Three Adjournment matters were cancelled one day and the next day a Minister has to cancel three meetings about a very important issue because the Seanad keeps changing the schedule. Please take that into account in the way you order your business in future. I mean no disrespect to the House in saying that, but there must be better ways for all of us to organise our schedules rather than their being constantly subjected to change and cancellation.

It is not fair on others who come into this building and think we are professional politicians to see the way in which things can be disordered so often.

I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. The HSE confirmed in May 2012 that the Galway-Roscommon Hospital Group had awarded a contract to Northgate Public Services for the installation of a clinical information system, a key support in the identification of areas for improvement in patient flows and outcomes. This system which is in use in approximately 20 hospitals in Ireland was extended across the Saolta group in January 2014.

The matter of procurement was raised in November 2014. The HSE has stated when issues, actual or perceived, are brought to its attention, objective action is taken. Therefore, when matters relating to Northgate were raised, an internal audit review was instigated and is ongoing. As I am sure those present will understand, while the matters raised by the Senator are under official investigation by the HSE's internal audit unit, it would be inappropriate for me to make any further comment in order to preserve the integrity and the independent, robust and objective nature of the process.

The HSE has verified that all appropriate personnel are co-operating fully with the HSE internal audit review and that recommendations arising from the review will be implemented. It anticipates that the review will be completed by the end of the month.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I thank the Minister and understand his frustration, which we all feel, but let it be said it goes on in the other House also. He cannot have spent very much time preparing this answer. I know that he is busy and effective, but this is simply a stonewalling exercise, if not by him, by the officials. He assumes we understand why it is inappropriate for him to comment further, but I do not understand it at all. We have just watched a documentary on RTE that is forcing the carrying out of an investigation. I am only asking the Minister to put the facts in the public domain, which would not in any way prejudice an objective inquiry by the HSE. This is not transparent administration and I am asking legitimate questions. At the very least, I would have expected the Minister to say that, while the investigation was ongoing and until it was established that nothing inappropriate had been done by the CEO in any aspect of the tendering procedure, he would not proceed to the next post and that it would have to be suspended until such time as there was clarity. Otherwise, if there was inappropriate tendering, Mr. Maher would have to be watched like a hawk in his next job.

Paddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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The Senator's time is up.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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There is a clear public interest issue. I do not see how any investigation would have been compromised in any way by giving factual information in answering questions.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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It is inappropriate for me to comment further because I do not know what the facts are.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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The HSE has access to certain facts.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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It may, but I do not know what they are. An allegation has been made; an internal audit review is under way and due process has to be followed. It is only right and proper that the internal audit unit be allowed to do its work. When it has completed its work, it will give the director general of the HSE the facts, at which stage I will have them. In the meantime, I do not think it would be appropriate for me to outline a series of allegations that have not been proved at this stage.