Mr. Barry O'Brien:

The most important thing for a hospital to receive public funding is that it signs off on the service level arrangement for the entire year. The arrangement sets out the quantum of work and the total funding to be allocated to that body. Clearly, that is the overarching agreement which sets out the matter. The HSE has a direct input into that. The HSE has a nominated person who is the overseer. In a sense what we are saying is that we would continue to have exactly the same relationship with St. Vincent's University Hospital as we have with any other hospital in receipt of public funds. There would be an appointed chief executive and a relationship. I have no wish to paraphrase Professor Whelan, but I gather what he said was that to safeguard the public interest, the hospital would put in place a public interest committee as part of the board which would ensure that full recognition was given to that public interest for St. Vincent's University Hospital and the service level arrangement it is proposed to have with the HSE.