Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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774. To ask the Minister for Health the amount paid by the Health Service Executive and his Department in interest due to a late payment and not meeting its obligations under the prompt payment rules for each year for the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18873/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I can assure the Deputy that my Department is committed to paying its suppliers promptly and to a standard payment period of 15 days as per the Government Decision effective from 1 June 2009. Information in relation to prompt payment interest paid by my Department is being collated and will be forwarded to the Deputy.

The Health Service Executive is committed to making every effort to pay its suppliers promptly, and to standard payment terms of 30 days. Taking into account that over 7,000 invoices are received daily by the Executive across a multiplicity of service delivery units, managing all payment processes is logistically complex. Notwithstanding this, the introduction of Prompt Payments legislation and the refinancing arrangements introduced and overseen by my Department have seen the HSE comprehensively address the issue of late payment.

I have asked the HSE to respond directly to you with the information you have requested in relation to that organisation.