Dr. Orla Healy:

It needs to be pointed out that we are talking about an exclusively elective hospital. We have a very efficient model of an elective hospital in Cork. The South Infirmary hospital is now exclusively elective. It has high levels of activity. As earlier groups suggested, we need to differentiate between the types of services that are provided in hospitals so that we can provide elective care in a protected environment. We need to develop that because of the physical infrastructure of the existing hospitals in Cork.