Mr. Derek Tierney:

I think it is a fair point. The Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. McCarthy, has covered it in the summary of his report that it was recognised within the arrangements under discussion with the private hospitals that there were 55 – 48 and seven - ventilators available. The report also points out that they would not be available until at least April to June, over a three-month period. In fairness to colleagues in the HSE, they were looking at what was currently in stock, what the projected surge demand might be, and trying to forecast how to fill that impending gap.