Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

——in terms of staffing. It is a very bad deal for the public hospitals that these beds are subsidised to the tune of €226 million a year — to run and staff them — and that they are only available to some people. I do not believe that is fair or just. I want to make all the beds in public hospitals accessible on the basis of medical need, a one for all system. That has been at the heart of our negotiations with consultants. Deputy Reilly is a general practitioner and general practice works very well on the basis of one for all. If one goes to a doctor's surgery one can either be a medical card or a fee-paying patient, and I am sure most people there will not know who is what, and that is as it should be. That is the way hospital services should be accessed too. One should access the service on the basis of medical need.

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