The chief executive of the Mid-Western Health Board, Mr Stiofán de Búrca, is to meet Department of Health chiefs in Dublin today arising from the board recording a €13.5 million surplus in 2003.
Mr de Búrca has also been requested to go before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health later this month where he will face questioning on the surplus.
Mr de Búrca was last week more open than his counterparts in two other health board areas when responding to reports that three health boards had surpluses at the end of 2003.
At last Friday's health board meeting, Mr de Búrca said he was personally "deeply disappointed and disillusioned" with the abolition of the health boards.
He said that health board members were a necessary buffer between the public and bureaucracy, and were also a mechanism for protecting the public interest and an important voice of democracy. Mr de Búrca said that he welcomed the opportunity to address the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health.
"I have no fears and will not flinch from defending this health board. Everything is kosher and above board."
Fine Gael Cllr Paul Bugler told the board meeting that the leaked reporting of the end of year surplus was done to "destabilise the health board and make us look incompetent and inept".
Fianna Fáil Cllr Sean Hillery said it was ridiculous that the chief executive should have to go before an Oireachtas committee.
"The Department gave us money at the end of the year, knowing that we couldn't spend it," he said.
