Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

There has not been a change in the membership of the Cabinet sub-committee which I chair. The Minister for Health is its convenor, while the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Ministers for Public Expenditure and Reform and Children and Youth Affairs and the Ministers of State with responsibility for primary care and disability, equality, mental health and older people are also members. Individuals such as the Attorney General and the Chairman and CEO of the HSE may attend our meetings. Any other personnel required to attend can do so.

There is absolutely no intention to privatise any hospital in the public health sector. The Minister for Health brought in external expertise in the establishment of the SDU. The individual involved has a proven record and has already identified a number of serious possibilities regarding the introduction of changes to reduce waiting times, get patients off trolleys, etc.

In the case of the hospitals in Galway and Limerick, the Minister is clearly aware of the need to develop further competency in the management of these two very large hospitals. For that reason, he has introduced, with the approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, a package in respect of the attraction of outside assistance in order to help with the development of the management competency to which I refer. The existing staff at these two extremely large institutions will benefit from working with world-class individuals who have experience of managing facilities of this kind. The lessons they learn will enable them to carry on with their work. Following a tendering process, a framework agreement involving five companies was established in September. A mini-competition to source and propose candidates for an interim management support structure for HSE West is under way and expected to be completed in the coming weeks. The HSE briefed IMPACT on its intentions in this regard and I understand further discussions are to take place.

I wish to make it clear that there is not a process of creeping privatisation. We have no intention of privatising any of these hospitals. External assistance is being brought in in order that staff at the hospitals in question might develop competence in the management of these hospitals, thereby bringing about greater efficiencies by ensuring costs are kept down and patients receive better treatment.

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