Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)

There is a far greater issue. The Minister has a privatisation agenda as well so perhaps he might explain something else to the House. It is proposed that approximately six new private hospitals be built on the grounds of public hospitals. The Government's policy is to sell off public land for an unknown price, give €400 million in tax concessions and take €1 billion from the public system and hand it over to the private sector. Has there been a cost-benefit analysis of such a huge transfer of money within the health service from the public to the private sector? It is up to €1.4 billion.

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