Mr. Jim Breslin:

On the State side, the HSE will be the contracting authority and the Departments of Health and Public Expenditure and Reform will participate in the negotiations. The negotiations will primarily be with the private hospitals. The National Treatment Purchase Fund has an arrangement to pay for the services of private hospitals. This was a novel situation where we were trying to convert private hospital consultants into public employees and there was a need to engage with them. We will engage with private hospital consultants but I envisage that the contract will be with private hospitals in this case. Regarding how long it will take, contact was made with the Private Hospitals Association on Friday. We have agreed to come back to it later this week with the type of proposal we might seek to bring forward. We would hope to have quick negotiations over the course of the next couple of weeks to try to conclude this in good time for the run into the end of June.