Beaumont Hospital in Dublin paid approximately €6.2 million to a private company run by its own medical consultants over a six-year period from 2019, without following public procurement rules, the Oireachtas Committee on Public Accounts was told on June 25, 2026.
The payments were made to Medica Clinical Diagnostics Limited, a company owned by Beaumont consultants, for the provision of radiology and other diagnostic services. The committee heard that the hospital bypassed competitive tendering processes, raising concerns about transparency and value for money.
According to testimony from Beaumont's chief executive, the contracts were awarded directly to the company, which is not registered on the State's procurement framework. The Comptroller and Auditor General has been asked to investigate the matter further.
Opposition TDs criticized the arrangement, calling it a potential conflict of interest. The hospital has defended the payments, stating that the services were necessary to reduce waiting lists and that the rates were competitive. However, no evidence of a formal procurement process was provided.
