Review raises concerns over governance, procurement, and use of public funds
A HSE audit has found that more than €2m was paid to consultants at Naas General Hospital to reduce waiting lists outside public pay policy guidelines according to RTE.
The payments, made between 2022 and 2025, included €1.5m from the National Treatment Purchase Fund paid directly to consultants, along with over €470,000 to two external companies linked to consultants at Tallaght University Hospital.
The audit found consultants were paid on a “fee per patient” basis, with some payments converted into overtime. It concluded these arrangements resulted in significantly higher pay than standard rates and described the spending as an inefficient use of public funds, raising governance concerns.
It also found gaps in oversight at Naas, including no evidence of competitive tendering for third-party services and uncertainty over whether all work funded to cut waiting lists was carried out outside normal hospital hours.
Separately, the audit noted that €8m was paid to the hospital for waiting list initiatives up to 2024 without formal agreements in place.
A memorandum was only introduced in 2025, with some funding withheld pending the audit.
In response, Naas General Hospital and the HSE said they accept the findings and are implementing recommendations to strengthen governance, improve oversight, and ensure future payments fully comply with public pay policy.
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