Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

There is huge interest in co-location because people see it as an effective way of achieving additional capacity. It is effective because we will get the beds for no more than 48% of the cost of providing them in the traditional way. That is a fact. They will be provided quicker and cheaper through this model than through any other. I do not believe a private facility within a public hospital should have nurses and all other facilities paid for by the taxpayers. No company would tolerate a situation where a core group of its workers were working within its operations for one of its competitors, using its computers, diagnostics and equipment.

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