The Public Accounts Committee has called for a halt to lucrative State contracts being awarded without tenders, after a dossier on alleged misappropriate HSE spending was revealed.

The Government has moved to trim its massive €9bn annual outlay on procurement by setting up a National Procurement Office charged with saving up to €600m a year.

The Government is attempting to save between €200 million and €600 million from the cost of buying goods and services.