Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 218: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the procedure employed in long-stay institutions for use of funds in patients' personal accounts; the audit procedures on the spending of such funds; the frequency of such audits; the independent audit procedures on the spending of such funds; the frequency of such audits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16587/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Service Executive (HSE) has informed my Department that it operates client Patient Private Property (PPP) Accounts as provided for in the Health (Repayment Scheme) Act 2006. The relevant sections of this Act allows the HSE to operate PPP accounts on behalf of clients, to invest client funds, use client funds for their benefit and requires the HSE to seek the direction of the Circuit Court if spending in excess of €5,000 per annum for the benefit of any one client.

The HSE National PPP Guidelines provide direction for staff on how client PPP funds are to be used for the benefit of the client and outline what use can be made of such funds. Each Care Centre also operates PPP a/c's in line with HSE Financial Procedures. Patients' Private Property is included as part of the ongoing audit programme delivered by the HSE's Internal Audit Directorate nationally.

The HSE produces a set of national PPP accounts annually, which are prepared and audited by External Auditors, appointed after a national tender process to choose same. This audit involves the audit firms visiting annually every HSE Care Centre that administers PPP a/c's and undertaking audit work at each location. On completion, the National PPP accounts are then submitted to the HSE Audit Committee and to the HSE Board for approval. These accounts are then submitted to the Comptroller & Auditor General for audit, as required by Section 18 (2) (b) of the Health (Repayment Scheme) Act 2006.