Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Once again, the Minister made reference to the advice of the Attorney General in her response to the contributions of Deputies who spoke in support of the amendment. She indicated outside independent advice had been received by the Attorney General. Is she willing to advise the House how this advice was triggered? Was it sought by her or the Attorney General? Was it advice presented independent of any lobby from within this institution? Will the Minister identify the advice? Will she indicate the basis on which advice received by the Attorney General is grounded?

Is the Minister serious when she states she wants to bring to an end the 20% private bed provision in the public hospital system by providing co-located private hospital facilities? Does she propose to provide these co-located facilities at every hospital and facility? Let us be sensible about this. We have a serious problem with which to grapple and the only point made by the Minister with which I can agree is that she wants to bring to an end the provision of a ring-fenced 20% of beds in public hospitals for private fee-paying patients. The problem arises with what she does after this. My belief is firmly in a public system of the highest standard in which every citizen will have confidence and will want to utilise as the need presents.

I have no objection to the development of private facilities. If people want to provide them and use them, let them do so. Where I draw the line is at the use of public moneys for the provision of private health care. Public moneys should be wholly and solely invested in what should be a state-of-the-art public health care delivery system which includes acute hospital facilities and services. Private facilities can be developed in an adjacent field but not in the field belonging to the health service. Such a facility could be needed for further expansion and the development of services by the public facility.

Questions must be answered. The Minister is not being up-front with Members about the advice received. She withheld the advice she could have shared with Members. With all respect, the letter from the Attorney General is but a fig-leaf. My earlier question applies equally at this point. Who triggered this line of inquiry with regard to Beaumont and St. James's Hospitals? Were they interested parties examining the opportunity to turn a buck from people's health care needs?

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