Committee of Public Accounts to resume HSE’s 2021 Financial Statements, including expenditure on ambulance services

The meeting at 9.30am in Committee Room 3 of Leinster House will be joined by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr Seamus McCarthy, and representatives of the Health Service Executive (HSE), led by interim CEO Stephen Mulvaney, and officials from the Department of Health.

During the afternoon session, beginning at 1.30pm, the Committee will consider correspondence and other business of the Committee.

Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Brian Stanley said: “Following last week’s engagement with the HSE on mental health services, the Committee will now focus on the HSE’s 2021 financial statements more generally, and expenditure on emergency and ambulance services is one of the areas that will be examined closely.

“The National Ambulance Service is the statutory pre-hospital emergency and intermediate care provider for the State and is operated by the HSE. Overall current expenditure for the NAS in 2021 amounted to €203 million, the majority of which relates to pay and pensions.

“Particular areas of interest to the Committee include targets in the NAS National Action Plan that have not been achieved, recruitment challenges faced by the service, vehicle running costs and the impact of increased fuel prices, and ambulance operations in Dublin provided by the Dublin Fire Brigade.

“Other matters to be examined in the HSE’s accounts include payments to the State Claims Agency, grants to outside agencies, non-compliant procurement, spending related to the cyberattack in the HSE and its review of high earners in the HSE.

“Following our final engagement with Mr Paul Reid last week, this will be our first engagement with Mr Stephen Mulvaney as the HSE’s interim CEO. Mr Mulvaney was previously the HSE’s Chief Finance Officer, and we look forward to a wide-ranging discussion with Mr Mulvaney and his team.”

The meeting in Committee Room 3 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.

PAC is a standing committee of Dáil Éireann which focuses on ensuring public services are run efficiently and achieve value for money. Further information on the role and remit of the Committee can be found here.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.