Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Is the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children aware that the Minister for Finance is unable to tell us the cost to date of tax relief for developers of private hospitals? In response to a parliamentary question last month he was unable to tell me the names and locations of hospital developments that have benefited. Is the Tánaiste aware that the Minister for Finance, her colleague, confirmed that the criteria for qualification for these tax reliefs were based only on the capacity of each hospital and not on any assessment of public health need at local, regional or national level? Does the Tánaiste not agree that the money spent on these reliefs would be far better employed in direct investment in our public health system? Does she not agree that these reliefs enrich those who are involved in private hospitals and such facilities for profit only? Does she not agree that fact and the fact that she perpetuates the system runs contrary to her statement of last month, when she said: "The reality is that if you have private health insurance or can afford to pay you have speedier access to our health system and that is something I want to change"? They are fine words but how is the Tánaiste's approach achieving that?

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