Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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I listened to and read the Minister's speech. He put an emphasis on the integration of services, the integration of hospital structures with community health care organisations and the need to move away from silo structures and the silo mentality.

The Minister did not comment on the biggest silo of them all, however. He did not comment on the area that indicates the greatest need for integration. I refer to the fact that we have a health care system that is divided into at least four components, namely, fully owned and controlled public hospitals, the section 38 sector, the section 39 sector, and a growing private sector, including hospitals, nursing homes and home care agencies. The remit of this committee is to come up with a plan to deliver a universal, single-tier health system. It has been clear from the vast bulk of the witnesses we have had in and the vast bulk of the submissions that we need a stronger public health care system. I put it to the Minister that this objective is not compatible with a health care system in which only one section of four is fully owned and controlled by the State. The private sector has a vested interest in doing down the public sector. As many experts have said, for the private sector to succeed, the public sector must fail. Sections of the health service, including those under sections 38 and 39, and the private sector, could not survive for even a week in some cases without public funding and the backing they have from the taxpayer and public health service.

It is interesting that the Minister carries a photograph of Nye Bevan around with him at all times.