Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to drill down for a minute. Mr. Mulvany was here before the committee on 16 November. I engaged with him on the winter plan. I think Ms Mary Day said then, in response to my questioning, that she was engaging with the private hospitals and that discussions were ongoing on requisitioning beds from private hospitals. Mr. Mulvany's opening statement today tells us that that engagement is still ongoing. Would he accept that the HSE's engagement with the private hospitals has been far short of what it should have been considering it is fully aware that a crisis was imminent for the December and January period? Should the HSE not have had its agreement in place with the private hospitals far sooner? Where is that engagement with the private hospitals?