Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

The Taoiseach has given his blessing to the construction on public land of private hospital beds when he knows well that he cannot stop any private patient occupying a public bed. The Taoiseach knows that and he knows there is hypocrisy at the heart of the aspiration in the negotiation with consultants which reinforces the two-tier system. The Taoiseach will permit further cherrypicking of the simple procedures that are profitable and leave the complex medical specialisms and teaching obligations to the public service, facilitating a migration of personnel to the private sector. That is the nature of this plan. Fianna Fáil ought to hang its head in shame for going along with an idea clutched in desperation out of the ideological air by the Progressive Democrats.

Will the Taoiseach sign those contracts? If there is a change of Government, and I believe there will be, we will not proceed with those contracts. The Taoiseach should say clearly whether he is going to sign them before the election.

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