Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)

In Waterford Regional Hospital there are 80 private beds paid for by taxpayers which are accessible only to private patients. I do not have the figure for Limerick but it is similar. A large proportion of private beds in our public hospitals are paid for by taxpayers, as are the staff concerned, but these are available to one group of patients only. I do not find that acceptable.

Not all such projects are looking for tax breaks and it is a myth to suggest they are. The Deputy's party favours the tax breaks for primary care facilities, as recommended by the all-party committee on health, so it is not the case that every-----

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