Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

Once again the Taoiseach has not answered any of the questions I asked. He said he does not know. Quite honestly, I do not believe that for a second. None of the Taoiseach's predecessors could come into this House and get away with the way the Taoiseach twists and obfuscates. Is the Taoiseach seriously telling me that the Government is maintaining this shift towards a for-profit system of medicine and he, the socialist Taoiseach, knows nothing about it? I do not believe that for a second. I ask again — is it a lease or a sale? Will the contracts be signed? The Minister for Health and Children said nothing about not knowing if it would be weeks or months today. The Taoiseach is right, I listened to the interview and she did not say that.

I am asking the Taoiseach if this is a lease or a sale and what the cost is to the taxpayer. Is the story at the weekend by the eminent political correspondent of The Sunday Business Post true, that the tender process will conclude by 30 March and sites will be "awarded", to use his term, by 16 April? Is that the position? Will sites be awarded? How can the Taoiseach claim not to know the answers to something as major as this, on the biggest priority confronting our people, namely the state of the health services? I give him another opportunity to indicate whether contracts will be signed or are we engaging in some kind of Aer Lingus ruse about letters of intent that will prove to be irrevocable some months from now? This House is entitled to know the answers to those questions and the Taoiseach has been evading, obfuscating, twisting and distorting, ducking and diving. What is the answer to the question?

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