The Health Service Executive (HSE) has said €64m worth of disposable protective suits will not be used during their shelf life.
The 2.5 million suits were bought when there was a rush for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 crisis last year.
HSE boss Paul Reid says the organisation has also recovered almost €60m spent on ventilators that never arrived - leaving more than €20m still outstanding.
The Comptroller & Auditor General Seamus McCarthy says there was money lost during rushed procurements.
"The HSE has recognised a charge of €64m in respect of the anticipated obsolescence of around 2.5 million disposable protective suits that were held in stock at the year end - and which the HSE estimates will not be used within their projected shelf-life.
"The HSE has stated that the suits were purchased when there was a shortage of more clinically appropriate gowns".
Speaking in May 2020, Mr Reid said the cost of supplying PPE to the health service was expected to be €1bn per year.
He said PPE was costing around €250m per quarter.
"Our PPE projections a based on the high demand and the price, the extra volume we are using and the extra distribution we are having to supply across the whole health care system.
"Our projections are that that cost will be likely over the year to be €1bn - €250m a quarter for PPE in the Irish healthcare system."
Additional reporting: Jack Quann
