Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

Yes, that is what I am saying. They are the good ones, but has the Minister seen the new ones that have been built in remote areas, the provision of which is more to do with property development? I doubt if they will even last as nursing homes for ten years. This incentive applying to them has not been examined or studied but was introduced on the personal hunch of the former Minister, Charlie McCreevy, that it would produce activity. He told me it would result in a reduction of nursing home costs, but that has been far from the case. In the greater Dublin area, such costs are at a higher rate than ever before.

Similarly, the Hanly report stated that hospitals with fewer than 300 to 400 beds were not viable and threatened them with closure, while the incentive applying to private hospitals seems to have a capacity around the 100 bed mark. Where is the joined-up thinking in regard to investment in our health services? Tax forgone as a result of these kind of tax breaks costs us all dearly in the end. We will continue this discussion as the Bill progresses.

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