Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny demanded answers over the signing of a €56 million IT health contract with a company called iSoft.
"Will the Taoiseach, in answering these questions, assure me that the Government was not put under pressure by iSoft to sign this contract on or before April 30th?" he asked. "Will he assure the House that the apparent rush to sign the contract on April 30th was in no way related to the fact that iSoft's financial year ended on April 30th?"
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said that when the Health Service Executive reported before Christmas on the details of all individual contracts, he would give the Fine Gael leader the information. He said that a number of matters, and a number of contracts, were under examination by the Departments of Finance and Health and Children, the HSE and its head, Prof Brendan Drumm.
"While they are being examined, there is no point in my pre-empting those discussions." Mr Kenny said his information was that the contract was signed on Saturday, April 30th last. "This was done following the Department of Finance granting oral sanction for the signing of the contract to the acting director for IT in the Health Service Executive on April 29th," he added.
"Is it true that this contract was only signed after high-level emergency meetings, involving officials from the Department of the Taoiseach, the Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Health and Children?" He asked why a contract of such significance was signed on a Saturday. Why had it been based on oral sanction and what was the rush?
Mr Ahern said he understood that some of the contracts were signed following consultation and some were signed after very long consultations with the companies and having regard to tendering arrangements with the companies.
"Some of the contracts that were signed were subject to a prolonged period of roll-out and a check was not carried out on them each year. I do not have the details on the contract pertaining to Easter of this year."
Mr Ahern said that when Prof Drumm had attended the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children, he had said it was the HSE's assessment that he and his management team would reconsider all contracts, going back four years.
Mr Kenny said they had witnessed an obscene wastage of public money, particularly in the Department of Health and Children. "General practitioners protested yesterday outside Tralee hospital at the lack of beds and that 10,000 operations were cancelled this year."
Mr Ahern said that the GPs protesting outside Tralee hospital were demanding a fair share of resources.
"The HSE and hospital management are available to discuss the concerns of GPs, and I understand those matters are under consideration. A number of new developments are ongoing in the area, including the development of a new emergency department."
