James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

Unfortunately, although I very much wish to believe what the Minister is saying I cannot. The co-located hospitals issue is still an ongoing quagmire. The plan has not delivered a single extra bed to the country. The Minister has removed 500 beds this year and will remove a further 600 next year. This is all very familiar to me. There are promises of wonderful things to come tomorrow while the Government takes away what is in place today.

Are all companies involved in the co-location process tax compliant and have such companies filed tax returns on time? The Minister mentioned contract negotiations. Are these completed, signed and legally binding? What recourse is there for the taxpayer if these companies proceed with these contracts? Have the banking requirements for funding been resolved? I believe there was a significant issue long before it was known the economy turned.

I mentioned the matter of reducing the number of beds. I asked a question earlier and perhaps the Leas-Cheann Comhairle can rule on the matter. Can the Minister specify which services had a slower than expected roll-out from which the Minister hopes to save €38 million in the supplementary budget?

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