Report on HSE: Culture of excess

WHILE upwards of 700 patients wait on trolleys every day, it appears that some HSE managers like to rest easy and enjoy a taste of the good life.

A damning audit of the organisation by the Comptroller and Auditor General has found that HSE managers “excessively claimed” for nights in five-star hotels, flights to New York for a guest, and alcohol while on trips.

One manager “travelled to New York for a conference accompanied by a personal guest. Flights were claimed for this guest and the hotel bill claimed for this guest and the hotel bill claimed showed two stayed in the room”.

Excessive is right. A draft HSE response to the report reveals €300 in expense claims for the Merrion Hotel in Dublin and €500 a night for a luxury hotel in Milan.

Considering that the Comptroller and Auditor General audit only examined a sample of 72 travel allowances, the real fear is that this is just the tip of an enormous iceberg and points to a disturbing culture of excess within the organisation.