Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I refer to the last day when we debated this issue when I said to Deputy Rabbitte that I did not know of any contract negotiations and that he should table a question. He obviously did the right thing the following day and asked the people directly involved. The Minister for Health and Children has answered since and answered again today in an interview. The Deputy knows the answer to the question because she answered it a few hours ago and he was obviously listening or read the text of the answer.

I also explained that day the general policy of the Government and the decisions we had made two years ago in the summer of 2005 regarding the issue. As I understand it, eight hospitals remain in the process: Limerick Regional Hospital, Waterford Regional Hospital, Cork University Hospital, St. James's Hospital, Beaumont Hospital, James Connolly Memorial Hospital, Blanchardstown, Tallaght Hospital and Sligo General Hospital. The examinations are under way to see if there are contracts done in these areas. As the Minister said today, she does not know at this stage whether they will take a period of weeks or months because negotiations are ongoing and the HSE will issue the invitation to tender to the selected bidders at the end of this week or early next week.

The HSE aims to evaluate the tenders and select the successful bidders over the period it requires to examine this. The Minister said today that some of those could be in April and that the final contract would be subject to planning approval. The system is to try to free an additional 1,000 beds for public patients that are currently being used for private cases. That has been our stated policy for the last number of years and those negotiations are continuing.

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