Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I was surprised at the IMO's opposition to the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, in that GP are private sector employees and the NTPF is actually for public and private hospitals. The €50 million last year got 21,000 procedures done. That €50 million comprises 0.33% of the health budget. For 0.33% of the health budget, 21,000 people, who would still be waiting today, got seen. The IMO cannot be ideologically opposed to it because it represents GPs, who are private sector workers. Given that for a relatively small amount of money tens of thousands of people are being treated, what is the IMO's opposition to it?