John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Government policy on co-location. The point has been made that it is a Progressive Democrats-driven policy but it is important to remember that Fianna Fáil, when fighting the election, made it clear it fully supported the policy. It was Government policy going out and it is Government policy coming back in.

Co-location cannot be termed a "racket". The people who supported the Government parties recognised that the proposal would free up waiting lists and create 1,000 new beds in the system. That was the issue going before the people and that is what they supported. In answer to the allegation that it is a racket, purely for profit, it is worth noting that the National Development Finance Agency, the financial advisers to the Department, has recognised the value for money in the proposal for co-location.

It is also important to take other points into account. We need change within the health structure. The point has been made that, over the years, funding for health has quadrupled yet waiting lists have remained. I congratulate the Minister on her initiative in bringing the policy of co-location before this House. Co-location will mean that publicly-funded beds in public hospitals will always be available to all patients in order of medical need. The initiative will free up designated public beds on each site. Public beds will no longer be used for fee-paying private care.

It is important to note more beds will be freed up than the number of designated private beds. Most important is that, by the time this initiative has been implemented, we will have 1,000 new beds. That will demonstrate cause and effect in regard to this proposal and will clear the waiting lists once and for all.

I support the co-location policy because it is a way of increasing bed capacity in the major public hospitals, in a forward-thinking way, in a new partnership with the private sector, whose involvement I welcome. I was alarmed when I heard the process characterised as one in which the rich go into a hospital and turn right or left and the poor turn the opposite way. That is an unfair comment which does not stand up to scrutiny, particularly when it is recognised that, in the policy document, one accident and emergency unit is provided for on site. There is no prospect of people being left to one side because they did not have the necessary financial arrangements. The policy document also makes it clear there is no validity in the claim that facilities will be built to too high a specification.

It is also important to recognise that the proposal will encourage investment. It will be open to scrutiny and will be guided by the Department of Finance. Any suggestion of plundering for profit alone will not stand the test of time.

I publicly support the co-location policy. It is one of many initiatives introduced by the Minister for Health and Children. I am glad to see her back in the job and believe that, by the end of this Government's term in five years' time, the issues currently surrounding health will have been totally resolved. I welcome this initiative, as well the many others the Minister has brought forward.

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