Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I appreciate that. I will deal with the one the Deputy does not want included.

Under the programme for Government, we are committed to providing an additional 1,500 public acute hospital beds. The co-location initiative aims to deliver 1,000 of these for public patients through the development of private hospitals on public sites. The intention is to transfer private property activity to those hospitals, thereby freeing up the capacity for public patients. The 500 acute hospital beds in the balance are in various stages of planning under the HSE's capital plan. The co-location initiative is the most effective and fastest way to achieve this.

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