Mr. Eugene Magee:

I thank the Senator. I am informed that the best or the most cost-effective management of hospital beds is in units of 25. We would certainly aspire to a 200-bed unit if we get around to the new build programme. That would be our hope. We have an issue with public private partnerships. One must bear in mind that we are operating under licence from the trustees, whom I often describe as a benign landlord, who have a serious view about how they award the licence. It is interesting to note that the licence is on a year's notice. We can get a notice to say we should be out in a year if they decide they have another way to spend their money or to liquidate the trust but, thankfully, that does not arise. We get huge support from them. We raised the issue at one point because the former Minister, Mary Harney, who appointed me suggested we look at public private partnership. We did not take it any further than bouncing it and it did not meet with a huge response from the trustees and I do not think they would find it comfortable.