Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Mr. Horan's opening statement is a hymn of praise to himself and the service and while I have nothing against self-praise, I take a slightly different view. The National Treatment Purchase Fund was set up as a temporary measure but has become an institution and is still in place. That is not a reflection on the witnesses. It was set up by Government to reduce waiting lists. I note Galway is distinguished by being one of the worst in the region, with massive waiting lists for inpatients and outpatients.

The opening statement mentioned procuring public beds in public hospitals under the National Treatment Purchase Fund and the mind boggles at this. Its role is now to pay for public beds in a private manner in a public hospital. The witnesses will see my cynicism here. Two operating theatres closed in Merlin Park, which was nothing to do with the National Treatment Purchase Fund, but in the course of a solution a number of beds closed in St. Finbar's ward, a brand new state-of-the-art orthopaedic ward in Galway. Are the witnesses aware that beds and wards are closed in public hospitals? Are they aware that, in a centre of excellence in a brand new ward, beds were empty, though not the whole ward?