Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I was trying to future proof the viability of an institution that we are establishing here. That can become part of modern day medical practice. The hospital may want to go into services for the cross-jurisdictional area or it may want to expand an existing services and to treat people from another jurisdiction. They may wish to borrow money to set up that service and the hospital may be able to pay back for that service over time. That brings in a commercial aspect to the viability of the hospital they are establishing. We have precedent there. One could bring it down to the most elementary function, to borrow money to buy a photocopier.

They can pay it back through an operational process. That makes sense for schools for different bodies. There is nothing new here.

When it comes to healthcare, we are trying to future proof the viability of this and for them not to have their hands restrained to allow them do that. Tallaght, Crumlin and Temple Street hospitals are not State hospitals. I gave the example of St. James's Hospital having the ability to borrow but the other three are not State hospitals and, therefore, I will have to get confirmation of that.