Mr. Liam Woods:

The Deputy was referring to staff that were part of an expert group conclusion around nursing boarded patients, who have been represented previously by the INMO before the committee as requiring funding. It is correct to say they were not included in the HSE service plan. They are still part of discussions between the HSE and Department in respect of how we move forward with the INMO but that is a work in progress.

On the stretch targets, the Deputy referred to maintenance charges for private care provided in public hospitals. The origin of this dialogue is the Committee on the Future of Healthcare. Last year's stretch target was €50 million in total; this year it is €44 million. The acute system delivered in terms of its total target as anticipated. Specific comment was also made in last year's HSE service plan, which carries into this, that any shortfall would not lead to reduced service and we are clear about that. The private income public hospitals recover comes primarily from people who present through their accident and emergency departments. Hospitals are not seeking private patients to achieve income targets.