Audits of Dublin-based centres for abused women, people affected by drug use, and young people have found “significant risks of non-compliance” with standard practice at three facilities.

A potential conflict of interest has been identified by the HSE in an audit of the manner in which contracts worth €338,000 were awarded to a private firm by a hospital group whose chief executive had a business interest in the same company.

Overpayments totalling €815,798 were made to staff in a single HSE region in 2014 according to an internal HSE audit.

A HSE audit report on Tusla, the child and family agency, has raised dozens of issues of non-compliance regarding payments to staff and timekeeping at the organisation.

A doctor contracted to provide services to clients of COPE Foundation was paid €123,799 annually, at odds with Department of Health (DOH) salary scales for medical grades.