Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Select Committee on Health
Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 38 - Health (Supplementary)
2:00 am
Pádraig Rice (Cork South-Central, Social Democrats)
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We are trying to keep on track. I hope we will conclude by 12 noon. Everybody can proceed. I have an additional question on the public-only consultant contract, POCC. We have seen that it has reached an uptake level of 67%. This is a key measure in delivering Sláintecare, as we know. It is key in separating the private and public provision of care. Disentangling these is important and essential. I am glad to see that this is under way. As expected, it will come with a loss of income to public hospitals which must be replaced. A total of €100 million has been allocated to address this deficit in 2026. Has the Department done a forecast for the deficit post 2026?