Committee of Public Accounts to examine 2022 Appropriation Accounts and report on Health Service Executive funding with Department of Health and HSE

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 officials from the Department of Health, led by the Secretary General and Accounting Officer, Mr Robert Watt and representatives from the HSE led by the Chief Executive Officer and Accountable Person to PAC, Mr Bernard Gloster.

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: “The Department of Health is responsible for the leadership and policy direction of the health sector. Its main role is to negotiate the health budget, set overall policy and engage in the oversight of how that money is spent and how efficiently and effectively the services are delivered.

“Health voted expenditure amounted €23.7 billion in 2022, an increase of €2 billion on the previous year. Around 98 per cent of this relates to advances to the Health Service Executive for the provision of health services and expenditure by the HSE has grown rapidly in recent years.

“Key issues for the Committee regarding the Department of Health include significant budget overruns, long wait times for services, unequal access for public patients to hospital care, poor quality and overstretched hospital infrastructure, medicine shortages and staffing constraints.

“Further areas for examination are the establishment of the new regional health areas, budget controls, governance and outcomes, agency costs, service level agreements with Section 38 and Section 39 bodies, estates management, capital works, and spending on claims and related legal costs.

“The C&AG’s Chapter 18 report outlines the HSE’s funding and financial reporting. The Minister for Health determines the annual funding allocation for the HSE and there are different processes for setting the determinations for capital and non-capital expenditure. The arrangements for budgeting, funding and control of health spending have been recognised as being too complex and in need of reform.

“The Committee looks forward to examining these issues and related matters with Mr Watt, Mr Gloster and their colleagues in the Department of Health and the HSE respectively.”

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.