For some time Sinn Féin has been trying to get the Taoiseach, other Ministers, particularly the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, to set out in full the circumstances in which the Minister appointed the founder of and a 50% shareholder in a private health consultancy firm to the position of chairman of the West-North West Hospitals Group. The group then awarded the potentially lucrative public contract for a review and a report on maternity services in that region to the same private consultancy firm in direct breach of guidelines. Despite raising this issue with the Taoiseach and an Teachta Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin raising it directly with the Minister for Health, there has been no full statement on the issue. This flies in the face of the programme for Government commitment that "We will pin down accountability for results at every level of the public service – from Ministers down ... [and] will cut back the waste and political cronyism built up over the last decade". There is no accountability on this issue and it is a scandal that the Government is drip feeding the information instead of coming in and, transparently, doing its duty by telling the Dáil what happened and allowing us to make a judgment on it. My questions concern how the founder of and a 50% shareholder in a private health consultancy firm was appointed as chair of a public body by the Government and awarded a major public contract. Will the Government publish the HSE's review of how the firm was awarded the contract to examine maternity services in the region?

As I mentioned to the Deputy yesterday, the second question on the Order Paper is a Priority Question tabled by a competent man, the Sinn Féin spokesman on health, Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, and concerns that issue. The question reads "To ask the Minister for Health if he will set out in full the circumstances in which he appointed a founder and 50% shareholder in a private health consultancy firm as chairperson of the West-North West Hospitals Group which subsequently awarded a contract to said firm; if the potential conflict of interest was known to him when he appointed the person and, if not, when he became aware of same; the date on which he became aware of the breach of the financial procedures of his Department in the awarding of the contract; the further steps he has taken since the resignation of the person concerned; if he has considered his own position; and if he will make a statement on the matter". If the spokesperson, Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, has issues arising from it, he can follow up on them with the Minister for Health. Perhaps Deputy Gerry Adams might communicate more clearly with him.

This is Leaders' Questions.

If the matter was not so serious, this would be bizarre. Flann O'Brien could not write it better. I was here when that competent man asked the question and it is interesting that the Taoiseach should read it out in response to mine. The Minister did not answer it in full. If he had answered it, I would not be raising it during Leaders' Questions. What are Leaders' Questions about? They are about the Opposition getting answers about this and other issues of grave importance and accountability mechanisms in the public service.

Ask him again.

The circumstances are clear. A public contact was awarded to a private consultancy firm and the founder and a 50% shareholder in that private firm was appointed as head of the health service that gave the contract to the firm in which he was a 50% shareholder. Is that not wrong? He then resigned because of a conflict of interest and the review of maternity services was withdrawn. All of this emerged in a drip-feed of information. The matter was raised in the Seanad and in this House by Teachta Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin and by me with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, who told me he had not been briefed on the matter and apologised to me privately afterwards. How is it possible that the Minister for Health did not know when he appointed the chairperson that this person had been the founder, a director and joint owner of the D & F Health Partnership? How much public money was paid to the company? What is the status of the report which recommends cuts to vital maternity services at Portiuncula, Ballinasloe and Letterkenny? Will the Taoiseach assure those living in the west and north west that existing maternity services will be retained fully? Let me give him a wee bit of advice. Why did he not come here or get the Minister to come and make a full statement instead of it having to be dragged out of him like this?

Is that from experience?

Yesterday the question of maternity services was raised and it arose from a number of high profile tragic cases. It is right and proper that there be an analysis of the standards, integrity and credibility of the service. When the question was raised by Deputy Micheál Martin, the terms of reference for the analysis were published. It was remiss of me not to provide them.

The Taoiseach is waffling again and not answering the question.

The national strategy included the following issues: a population base needs assessment, with a review of current and future demand and activity-----

On a point of order, am I not entitled to an answer to my question?

This is Leader's Questions. I cannot tell the Deputy what answer the Taoiseach will give.

You are. The Deputy said the report that is being prepared recommends the closure of maternity services in the west and north west. I am giving him the terms of reference set out for the report, which do not refer in any way to the closure of any of the maternity services.

I did not want the terms of reference.

Please allow the Taoiseach continue.

These terms of reference are published. They are available for the Deputy or anybody else to read and nowhere in the terms of reference will one come across a recommendation for the closure of services.

The Deputy asked how much public money was spent on this report. I do not know the answer to that question, but I will have the figure on that sent to the Deputy. He referred to maternity issues. A fortnight ago, I think, I answered a question for the Deputy and told him the Minister was treating this as a matter of great seriousness, but the person recommended as chair subsequently resigned. In regard to the issues arising from the Minister's reply which remain unanswered, I will see they are answered for the Deputy. If Deputy Ó Caoláin wants to send me his particular questions, I will answer them for him.

Answer me.

We are over time.

Deputy Adams is the Leader. He mentioned maternity services and wants to know how much public money has been spent on the report. I will send that information to him and will send him any other information he wants on this matter. In his own time, there are some questions the Deputy could answer that he seems reluctant to answer.