Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

On behalf of Sinn Féin, I support the motion in the name of the Labour Members. The privatisation of our hospital services by the Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats Government is something we in Sinn Féin have been campaigning strongly against for months. On Saturday last, we organised a major rally in Dublin demanding health care rights for all. One of the main themes was our opposition to the Minister of Health and Children, Deputy Harney's outrageous plan to allocate land at public hospital sites, as well as massive tax breaks, to the developers of private for-profit hospitals.

On 9 August, we held protests at most of the ten sites nominated for this co-location plan. Today, a new private hospital, subsidised by the Government with tax breaks, was opened in Sandyford in Dublin. This is run by Beacon, part of the Beacon-Triad group with a massive parent health care company in the United States. It is reported that the parent company has had to pay $1.7 billion to the US Justice Department arising out of civil and criminal cases against it. These same privateers are among the bidders to develop private hospitals on six of the Minister's ten sites. All the Minister and the Taoiseach can do when they are asked about this in the Dáil is parrot the company's denial. However, the facts are there and I believe they will come back to haunt the Government. More importantly, if they persist with this plan, the privateers will further damage our ailing health services.

Today, on the same day as this new Beacon Hospital opened, we learned that planning permission has been granted for a luxury new private hospital in the grounds of Adare Manor in County Limerick. We are told it will be set in rolling parkland with 100 private rooms, each with a flat screen television and Internet access. It will have six operating theatres, two radiology suites and 30 consultant suites. An Irish-American businessman and BMI Healthcare, a leading private hospital company in Britain, will operate it. These developers have also submitted bids for the co-located private hospital in the grounds of Limerick Regional Hospital.

Are members of the Fianna Fáil Party happy that the two-tier system of hospital care in this State is now being reinforced by their Progressive Democrats Minister for Health and Children? The Fianna Fáil election manifesto, on which they sought their mandate in 2002, pledged to end the two-tier system. Are they happy with circumstances where older people who have worked all their lives and are in poor circumstances in their twilight years must endure the indignities and dangers of our public hospital accident and emergency units and wards while the privileged few can book into luxury hospitals with televisions and computers in every room? Is that the legacy of a party that calls itself republican?

The Labour Party motion is worthy of support and I commend it on tabling it. I now turn to their colleagues in the proposed rainbow alternative. I find it curious that the Fine Gael Deputies did not co-sign the motion as has been the practice lately. Today, on the "News at One" on RTE radio, I understand Fine Gael's health spokesperson, Deputy Twomey, for whom I have great respect, avoided the question of whether he, in Government, would stop or reverse the Minister, Deputy Harney's private hospital co-location scheme. He was not specific and precise in his reply.

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