An internal investigation into the HSE’s purchase of €10m Chinese ventilators which were never used has been completed – but there is no timeframe for its publication. The six-month internal audit review into the procurement of ventilators as part of the Covid-19 response from February 2020 onwards saw a draft report submitted to the HSE on March 9, 2021. “It is the subject matter to an internal audit report and we will endeavour to publish as soon as possible,” Mr Swords said. However, at that time, the HSE’s internal audit division noted it was standard practice “to release all audit reports under FOI requests in due course, and that the refusal in this case will be temporary”. The health service paid €14.1m to a media management company, Roqu Media International, for the delivery of 328 ventilators on March 23 last year.

Source: Irish Examiner May 10, 2021 18:45 UTC