David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I accept what Mr. Breslin said that these were the only beds available and it was the obvious place to go for them. I am long enough around to know from my time as a member of the Committee of Public Accounts, and time spent looking at what is transparent, what should be accountable and what is value for money, that it is important to do a cost-benefit analysis and have the fundamentals of a deal properly examined. It does not strike me that that happened on this occasion. Mr. Breslin has given what he sees as logical reasons why not but the fact is that the deal cost us €300 million. He said that he anticipated the full capacity would be used. However, less than half the capacity was used. I put to him again what was said by the Irish Hospital Consultants Association, IHCA, that this was not a good deal both in terms of patient care and taxpayer perspectives. It is hard to disagree with that given that there was no cost-benefit analysis and only less than 50% of the capacity was utilised.