17 Jul 2015, 13:28
Representatives from the HSE and St Vincent’s hospital invited to appear next Thursday
17 July 2015
The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children this morning agreed to invite representatives from the Health Service Executive, St Vincent’s University Hospital and the Beacon Hospital to respond to RTÉ Investigations Unit revelations that gifts and holidays were received by some members of staff in return for commercially sensitive information.
The information was broadcast on RTÉ Prime Time last night (16 July). The meeting will take place next week.
Chairman of the Committee Jerry Buttimer TD says: “Committee Members expressed grave concern this morning in relation to the apparent serious breaches in procurement guidelines revealed last night. The Committee has written to the HSE, St Vincent’s University Hospital and the Beacon Hospital requesting an urgent meeting on the issues raised. With an investigation in train, the Committee will be keen to assess implications for wider procurement policy in taxpayer-funded health services and how robust measures can be put in place to ensure such alleged irregularities cannot occur into the future.”
ENDS
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Paul Hand,
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Dublin 2
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Committee Membership:
Deputies: Jerry Buttimer (Chair), Catherine Byrne, Ciara Conway (Vice-Chair), Regina Doherty, Peter M Fitzpatrick, Seamus Healy, Billy Kelleher, Eamonn Maloney, Clare Daly, Sandra McLellan, Michael McNamara, Dan Neville, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin and Robert Troy
Senators: Colm Burke, Thomas Byrne, John Crown, John Gilroy, Imelda Henry and Jillian Van Turnhout