Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

For once, the lack of haste might be fortuitous. Why did the Minister pick the NTPF to lead this? The reason I ask is because the chief executive of the NTPF, who I think is on secondment from a State agency, stated that the private sector is the most efficient and clinically effective way of having patients seen quickly. The person who heads up the organisation that the Minister has tasked with reviewing what I believe is and should be a very important pillar of any waiting list management system has already publicly stated a preference for the private sector against his own substantive employer. Why must it be the NTPF that leads out on this? The Minister said the review will consider waiting list management at hospital group level. This is a bit of a blinkered and short-sighted approach. I believe we should be looking at this on a national basis. That is possibly the most efficient way to go. Why was the NTPF chosen for this? Does the Minister have any comments to make on the indicated preference of the chief executive for the private sector?

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