The Health Minister is downplaying a leaked report by the taxpayer's watchdog which finds HSE staff have been abusing expense claims.

There were questions in the Dáil today on a report from the Comptroller and Auditor General(CNAG) which found lavish spending on hotels by the Health Service Executive.

The taxpayers watchdog's 42-page report outlined how €300 a night was spent on the five star Merrion hotel in Dublin and €500 a night on a hotel in Milan.

The report says the spending is excessive.

The Irish Times reports that overpayments of more than €3m to staff in three regions were also identified.

The audit found that public funds were used to pay for five star hotels for HSE staff, and flights to New York for a personal guest. Calls are now being made for the money to be repaid.

However, Minister Leo Varadkar emphasised that the leaked report is just a draft and that the HSE will now have to explain each item of their expenditure to the (CNAG) and should there be any unsatisfactory issues discovered.

“What will happen now is the CNAG and the She will engage on that. The HSE will have to explain to the CNAG each singe line item of spending and if the CNAG is not satisfied with their answers the HSE will have to change their procedures,” he said.

Mr Varadkar went on to say the rules regarding costs incurred by consultants and doctors travelling overseas “have already changed. They were changed last year.”

Earlier today, the Taoiseach said if there is any money misspent by HSE staff it should be repaid.

Enda Kenny told Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams in the Dáil that if there is any wrongdoing then the people involved should re-pay the money: