Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

I have attended many meetings with Professor Drumm, including Cabinet sub-committees where we approved this, and he has never issued or expressed any reservations about it. Professor Drumm is right. His job is to run the public health care system. My job, as Minister for Health and Children, is to preside over a health care system to which everybody can have access. The issue concerns us getting private providers to provide services, like the National Treatment Purchase Fund does, which is not under the remit of Professor Drumm. Not all matters are under the remit of HSE. Professor Drumm's job as chief executive of the HSE is to run the public health care system.

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