Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)

Members do not often make the case for private patients in this House, but it is important to consider everybody who will be affected by this strategy. When 1,000 beds are moved from the public sector to the private sector under the Minister's privatisation plan, an additional €110 million — or €86 million as we are now informed — of lost income to BUPA and VHI will have to be added to the €14 billion required to manage the health service.

It seems the Minister is valuing the loss of income from each of these beds at €110,000 per year. This is a totally false economy. No private hospital can operate a private bed for €2,000 per week. It is simply not possible.

See this speech in context