Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I am trying to answer Deputy Joe Higgins. The Deputy referred to the consultants who would be totally committed to the public sector. I agree with that point. The Tánaiste in her reform proposal would like to make provision whereby we could have public consultants. As the Deputy knows, that is not the position for the entire consultant staff, given that others work on a 9:11 sessional basis and are not interested in becoming public consultants only. We must make provision for those staff. The Deputy will agree that where at present in acute public hospitals a number of the designated beds in what are public wards is designated private——

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