Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly has described as 'bizarre' a challenge made by the Health Service Executive to findings she made in a complaint investigation concerning child protection, which may have cost the taxpayer up to €150,000.
The Ombudsman said that in November 2008, following a threat by the HSE of a High Court injunction, she felt compelled to withhold, from the Dáil and Seanad, a special report dealing with the HSE's rejection of her findings and recommendations in a 'relatively routine' dispute regarding fees between the HSE and two agencies providing guardian services to children.
Ms O'Reilly said the experience was 'a bizarre series of events which involved significant financial and other costs and which, ultimately, resulted in no tangible outcome'.
The court proceedings were struck out by the High Court, with costs awarded to the Ombudsman and other notice parties to be paid by the HSE.
The report Gagging the Ombudsman has been published today and describes what happened in the period July 2008 to June 2009.
The Ombudsman has today also reported the matter to the Oireachtas.
