Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I am listening to many other sessions here that it is very hard not to come to the conclusion that there is a very deliberate policy of privatisation at play. I do not know where that is coming from, whether it is at a political level or at a senior level within the Department of Health or the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. The level of outsourcing at the moment is shocking. The point has been made already that it results in poorer terms of employment. It also results in considerable profits being taken out of the health service, money that should be used for the provision of front-line services. That has to be ideological. There is no doubt that in recent times there has been an acceleration in that. It absolutely flies in the face of the principles underpinning an effective public health service and what was agreed on a cross-party basis in relation to Sláintecare.

Today we were told about nurses, home care assistants and radiation therapists where the push is very much towards outsourcing. That has to be arrested at some level. There has to be a responsibility at Government level for that huge push. We used to talk about creeping privatisation. It is more like galloping privatisation in the health service now. It is very concerning.