Mr. Pat Healy:

The idea of choice was that, over time, the system would be responsive to where people wanted to be accommodated. It does of course take account of the availability of planning land. The other significant thing is that outside the greater Dublin area there is a long tradition of community hospitals and public facilities that provide long-stay care but they will be mental health facilities, primary care centres and so on. They are geographically spread around the country. The greater Dublin area did not have a history of such community hospitals.