The HSE has appointed extra staff to oversee contracts following a €12 million overcharging by a pharmacy company, the Dáil was told on Tuesday night.

Minister for Health Simon Harris said the agency's Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS) had appointed four full-time pharmacy inspectors, two data analysts and two dedicated case managers.

A third data analyst and two more case managers were being recruited, he said.

“I would also like to note that the PCRS probity programme is on target to recover some €20 million this year,” Mr Harris added.

“I am confident that this increased level of activity will set the tone for proper engagement by contractors in providing services to our patients.”

‘Financial pressure’

The Minister was responding to Fianna Fáil public expenditure spokesman Dara Calleary who said the fact that a leading pharmacy chain could overclaim to the tune of € 12 million without anybody seeming to notice, was a damning indictment of the HSE's monitory systems.

“The HSE needs to outline what action it is taking to get to the bottom of this issue,” he added. “This is taxpayers’ money going into a service which is under enormous financial pressure.”

Mr Calleary said such waste of public money could not be tolerated.

Mr Harris said the HSE began investigating claiming by the Lloyds Pharmacy Group in early 2015.

Following protracted negotiations, Lloyds agreed to a settlement that included full repayment of over-claimed fees, he added.

“The PCRS continues to monitor phased claiming by the Lloyds group, with further payments suspended until compliance with phased dispensing rules is fully established,” he added.