Mr. John Connaghan:

There was a question about the decision-making process over the use of private beds. Over the winter period, and on a continuing basis, we have been holding twice-daily assessments of where we are nationally. This assessment is done by senior HSE members involved in operational management and during the day it is extended to CHO chiefs and hospital group chief executives. The assessment tells us we are running out of capacity inside the public system and we need to do something in extremisto extend it into the private sector. We make judgments on a day-to-day basis but we also look ahead by up to four days to anticipate pressures on the system. It is addressed on a tactical basis.