John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that he will hold that position on the basis of his contract and that it will be an issue between the HSE and the board.

My problem is to know how Mr. Jermyn's private work and public work are costed and if both are kept separate. Is there confusion in the handling of patients between the public and private hospitals? Are patients referred to the private hospital for income? All such questions need to be answered.

I have received a number of letters written to me as Chairman of the committee and written on headed notepaper from St. Vincent's University Hospital. These are unsigned letters but in my opinion they make serious charges about the hospital and the top-ups. While they are not signed letters they are written on headed notepaper. It is a concern that this is the case. Two of the letters state clearly that there is no effective protection for whistleblowers and therefore the writers have not signed the letters. They express concern about the management, the care of patients, the reduced level of staffing on wards, nurses being distressed and crying while working. The letters refer to the closure of Loughlinstown hospital and no planning in place to prepare for a potential increase in the numbers attending the accident and emergency department. One of the letters states that the hospital is in chaos and the drug error is at an all-time high.

If this is all happening on the front line, then I must ask about the money being paid to the managers of that front line. They seem to be under pressure. They are concerned and they are writing anonymously but using hospital headed notepaper. I am trying to balance that with the type of management in place and the type of proposal that is envisaged for the public hospital. I am not convinced by the presentation to the committee because Deputy McDonald in particular has had to extract the information, even down to the issue of compliance. That is how the exchanges stand.

I have a question for Mr. O'Brien. I refer to the expression used by a witness that they are in the same ball park. Will all these issues be resolved by March as a result of everyone being in the same ball park? Is Mr. O'Brien confident of bringing this matter to a conclusion, considering what has been said here today? Is that an unfair question because discussions are under way?