Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for his question on this matter. Contract Management Support Units (CMSUs) were established by the HSE in order to assist service managers with the discharge of duties related to managing and documenting all aspects of the relationships between CHOs and Section 38 and Section 39 agencies. CMSUs have been established and are operational in all nine CHOs.

The primary responsibilities of the CMSUs are to ensure that:

• Service Agreements (SAs) and Grant Aid Agreements (GAs) are completed and finalised in a timely manner
• Audited Annual Financial Statements (AFS) and Annual Financial Monitoring Returns (AFMR) are both received and reviewed
• A system is in place in each CHO to ensure review meetings are taking place in accordance with performance monitoring guidelines
• Key documents such as the Chairperson’s Statement, Management Accounts and Activity Data are received and reviewed as appropriate
• The Service Provider Governance (SPG) database is updated accurately.

As regards their operation, each CMSU has at least one staff member with a professional financial qualification in order to assist with the discharge of these duties. Managers of CMSUs work closely with the HSE Compliance Unit to ensure that any matters arising in relation to the above are resolved appropriately. Monitoring reports to accountable officers are issued by the Compliance Unit twice a month and these reports provide updates on the completion of SAs/Gas and the receipt and subsequent review of AFS and AFMRs.