Kenny: Millions wasted and unclaimed as HSE accountability falls short
Kenny: Millions wasted and unclaimed as HSE accountability falls short - The Labour Party
Labour TD and member of the Public Accounts Committee Eoghan Kenny has called for stronger financial controls in the HSE following today’s examination of millions of euro in unnecessary spending, lost income and retrospective consultant payments.
The PAC heard that €8.55 million has been spent since 2020 storing PPE, vaccines and hand sanitiser, despite the HSE knowing since 2021 that significant quantities would not be used. It also examined the write-off of €3.4 million in private patient income and exceptionally high consultant payments, including more than €900,000 paid to one consultant in a single year.
Deputy Kenny said:
“These are not isolated accounting errors. They point to a pattern of public money being wasted or left uncollected, with little clarity about who is responsible.
“Decisions made in the early days of the pandemic must be understood in that context. However, once the HSE knew this stock would not be used, taxpayers should not have been left paying millions to store it for years.
“The loss of €3.4 million in private patient income is equally unacceptable. That money should have gone back into frontline healthcare, but it was written off because claims were not submitted on time. There must be accountability when basic financial controls fail.
“Consultants must, of course, be paid for work carried out. However, additional-work claims cannot be allowed to accumulate for years before being paid out in enormous sums. The HSE should introduce a clear and reasonable deadline for submitting these claims so that costs can be tracked and payments verified promptly.
“With a budget approaching €30 billion, the HSE has an enormous responsibility to patients and taxpayers. Accountability must mean more than acknowledging failures after the money is gone.
“We need clear answers about who was responsible, what consequences followed and what has changed to ensure taxpayers are not left paying the price again.”