Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 June 2025
340. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the governance and reporting arrangement regarding the NTPF; how it reports to the Minister; if the NTPF is accountable to the Oireachtas, including Oireachtas committees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31026/25]
View answer341. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the spend of all money by the NTPF since 2020, broken down by salaries, by insourcing and outsourcing of care and any other incurred expenditure, further broken down by year and by allocation to each hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31027/25]
View answer342. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of reviews, investigations, HR investigations or reports carried out by the NTPF into insourcing of care at public hospitals since its inception; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31028/25]
View answer343. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of reviews, investigations, HR investigations or reports carried out by the public hospitals into insourcing of care at public hospitals that the NTPF is aware of since its inception; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31029/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 340 to 343, inclusive, together.
The National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) is an independent body established under Statutory Instrument (S.I.) 179 - National Treatment Purchase Fund (Establishment) Order, 2004 as amended by S.I. No. 125 of 2007, the Health (Miscellaneous Provision) Act 2007 and the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act (2009).
The NTPF Board is responsible for ensuring good governance and compliance with the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies and that it meets its strategic objectives. There is regular correspondence and contact between officials in my Department and the Senior Management Team of the NTPF to ensure compliance with the Code of Practice and to monitor the overall performance of the organisation. This is done through formal quarterly Governance Meetings as well as through ongoing regular engagement, including in respect of the implementation of Best Practice Reporting, the National Waiting List Forum, the development of the National Waiting List Protocols, performance under the Waiting List Action Plan, and more generally in respect of waiting list reporting.
The NTPF Chief Executive Officer, is required to appear before the Public Accounts Committee as specified in the establishing legislation, and potentially other Dail committees should a formal invitation be made for the body to be considered at such forum.
The NTPF Annual Reports, including the certified Annual Financial Statements, for 2007 to 2023 are published on the NTPF website and can be found at: www.ntpf.ie/about-the-ntpf/publications/
Draft financial statements in respect of 2024 have been prepared. Once these have been audited and certified by the Comptroller and Auditor General, they will be laid before the Oireachtas and incorporated into the NTPF Annual Report 2024 for publication on the NTPF website.
The NTPF Audit and Quality Assurance (AQA) function examines public and voluntary hospitals’ compliance with National Waiting List Management Protocols and reporting requirements. Its specific objective is to ensure standardised management and reporting of data and the publication of correct waiting list information across all public hospitals.
The AQA function does not have an Internal Audit role within the NTPF nor a role in the clinical decision making or financial management at public hospitals.
It is the responsibility of all public and voluntary hospitals to implement National Waiting List Management Protocols and adhere to national waiting list reporting requirements.
Public hospitals are subject to audit both by the HSE Internal Audit function and by external auditors, including the Comptroller and Auditor General. Insourcing arrangements would be within the scope of such audits.
