Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

I wish to respond to some of the issues raised by the Opposition in the course of the debate. Private patients are receiving priority access to public hospitals at the expense of public patients. Some 2,500 beds in public hospitals are ring-fenced for the exclusive use of private patients and that is not equitable or fair. As the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, stated last night, the State pays for nurses and other staff to look after the patients in those beds and provides the diagnostic equipment needed, but the beds are off limits to patients unless they are the private patients of consultants. The initiative will provide that 1,000 of the 2,500 beds in question can be used by public patients.

In July 2005, the Minister issued a policy direction and the HSE identified the most appropriate sites to include in the initiative based on existing and planned capacity. It identified what a co-located hospital would need to deliver for each site to best serve the interests of the public hospital and prospective patients.

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