Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 191: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children when her attention was drawn to the failed tender process for awarding a contract to private companies to administer the repayment of long stay charges to persons who were illegally charged for public long stay care; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7906/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Service Executive, HSE, has responsibility for administering the national repayment scheme for publicly funded, long stay residential care, including the recruitment of an outside company to administer the scheme. A procurement team was established by the HSE to undertake this process. Officials in my Department received correspondence from the HSE on 20 December 2005 which indicated that following consideration of the tenders received, and following discussions with the HSE management team of the wider issues involved, it was decided to terminate the procurement process.

I received a verbal briefing on this issue on the evening of the 20 December 2005 and the correspondence from the HSE was brought to my attention on the 22 December 2005 together with a covering note from Department officials, which indicated that an urgent meeting had been requested with the HSE seeking clarification on why the tendering process had been terminated.