Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 June 2025
763. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if her attention has been brought to a media report regarding further alleged abuses of the National Treatment Purchase Fund (details supplied); the steps she has taken in response to these allegations; if she has engaged with the HSE, NTPF and the hospital in question on this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33714/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn April, at my request, the Health Service Executive (HSE) CEO initiated a detailed survey of all insourcing activity within the HSE, assisted by Finance, Internal Audit, HR and Access/Integration functions. Insourcing can be funded either directly by the HSE/hospital concerned, or by the National Treatment Purchase Fund.
The HSE CEO is also commissioning an audit of governance and equity in patient access and waiting list management at Children's Health Ireland (CHI). This audit will aim to assess governance and equity in access to care within CHI, and in particular the balance between public and private patient management. This will include a range of factors including methodologies of payments by private patients to consultants undertaking any private consultations on site.
The Department of Health has policies and procedures for handling protected disclosures in the Department, in line with the provisions of the Protected Disclosures Act. The Department is not in a position to comment on disclosures made to a 3rd party.
