Mr. Tadhg Daly:

Given that the NTPF is a monopoly purchaser and there is an imbalance of power, nursing homes are effectively price takers. In that case, there should be an independent appeal, having exhausted internal mechanisms. We do not suggest that everybody should go to independent appeal at the first hurdle. Rather, there would be an internal process and, all things being equal, when negotiations break down, it would go to external appeal.