Mr. Tony O'Brien:

I have no doubt that the consultants in question are fulfilling, in terms of hours, excellence and so on, the full extent of their commitments in the public hospital. I have no reason whatsoever to suspect that they are not doing so. What I am concerned about is that contracts exist which have certain ranges of entitlements and, in this particular hospital - either by special arrangements or by interpretation - they have arrived at the position in which they are allowing consultants to do so when other institutions would not work in external private institutions. That is, primarily, an issue between us and the governance of the hospital and it is through that medium that we are seeking to address the matter. I have said to the hospital very clearly that if this situation continues for whatever reason, on whatever basis and with whatever justification, it will have a material impact on our ability to direct additional resources in the way of that hospital. That is not to suggest that existing services will be curtailed. That is not what I am talking about. I mean that the further development of the hospital is in jeopardy unless we come to a better arrangement.