Mr. Tony O'Brien:

Senator Crown asked some interesting and wide-ranging questions. He asked if I consider that the nature of the health service is odd by international standards.

The objective answer to that question has to be "Yes." The mixed model we have in this country - the blend between public and private - is comparable only to that in post-Saddam Iraq in terms of international comparators. That is one thing that is odd.

The diffuse nature of health service delivery in Ireland, particularly acute care, the number of locations and so on-----