Ms Fiona Brady:

In 2017, the NTPF was only funded €17 million. Based on my experience of working in the public system, the reason for the efficiencies private hospitals provide the public health service with is because they do not manage unscheduled care. Every day, Ms Coyle has to come in to face a very busy emergency department with patients on trolleys - 60,000 or 70,000 presenting to an emergency department. The private hospitals do not have that. Public patients get cancelled in public hospitals because the theatres and day wards are full and there is no space in outpatients. That is where the NTPF can step in and use private capacity to look after public patients but we do not pay the consultants for that. It is already paid by let us just say, Beaumont Hospital. That is only one way we use our money. For extensive waiting lists-----