Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)

This week, the Minister for Health was officially named on the debt defaulters list in Stubbs Gazette for failing to pay debts resulting from a business deal involving a private nursing home in Tipperary. Will the Taoiseach confirm the Minister for Health will come to the Dáil tomorrow to make a statement on this matter? Is fíric í go bhfuil an tAire Sláinte ag glacadh le cinneadh chun tairbhe do sheirbhísí cúraim sláinte príobháideacha. Tá a fhios ag an Taoiseach sin, agus is fíric í go bhfuil an tAire Sláinte ag druidim leabaidh san earnáil phoiblí.

The Minister, who has taken decisions to close 296 public nursing home beds from January until May, has a commercial interest in a private nursing home. In my constituency, Drogheda Cottage Hospital and St. Joseph's Hospital in Ardee are under threat. One of the critical issues for the HSE is the shortage of public nursing home beds to allow for the discharge of 600 elderly patients from public hospitals. Does the Taoiseach agree there could be a conflict of interest here and does he agree that the Minister needs to clarify his relationship with Greenhill Nursing Home? Does the Taoiseach acknowledge that the Government's policy and that of the previous Government was to encourage privatisation in the health service, provide tax breaks for private nursing homes and provide for the closure of public nursing homes? The Minister has a personal investment in private health care. Will the Taoiseach ensure he comes into the Dáil and clarifies these matters?

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