18 Dec 2013, 10:03
Representatives from the Department of Health, the Health Service Executive and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform will attend the Committee of Public Accounts tomorrow, Thursday, 19th December 2013 when the issue of top-up payments to executives will be examined.
Committee Chairman John McGuinness TD said: “The witnesses for this week’s meeting will be the Department of Health, the HSE and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
Even though it is the HSE which directly funds all Section 38 agencies from its Vote, the Departments of Health and Public Expenditure and Reform have critical oversight responsibilities in this area.
The issue of additional salary and allowances being paid to Section 38 agencies, which are primarily funded by the HSE, came to light when a HSE Internal Audit report on the matter was submitted to the PAC. The HSE updated the Committee on November 27th that out of 42 agencies, which were requested to confirm their unequivocal confirmation of compliance with public pay scales, 12 have stated that they are non-compliant. There is a service level agreement in place between the HSE and each Section 38 agency. The service level agreement is very clear about pay policy.
The HSE informed the Committee last Wednesday that it was due to meet with each of the non-compliant Section 38 agencies during the week and that all Section 38 agencies could be issued with a new compliance code, which they would be compelled to comply with.
This week, the Committee will be keen to explore both the Department of Health and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s responsibilities in terms of oversight of the HSE and, in turn, the HSE’s oversight responsibilities and oversight regime in relation to the Section 38 agencies. How the HSE is strengthening its oversight will also be of interest, as well as the current status of unsanctioned salary payments by Section 38 agencies.”
This meeting will start in Committee Room 1 at 10am, Thursday, 19th December 2013.
Committee proceedings can be followed live here.
Media enquiries to:
Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 3903
M: 086-0496518
F: +3531 618 4551
Committee of Public Accounts Membership
John McGuinness (Chairman)
Kieran O’Donnell (Vice Chairman)
Paul J Connaughton,
John Deasy,
Áine Collins
Gerald Nash,
Simon Harris,
Michael McCarthy,
Mary Lou McDonald,
Sean Fleming,
Eoghan Murphy,
Derek Nolan,
Shane Ross