Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I largely agree with the Deputy. In the coming weeks I intend to go to Cabinet with proposals to put in place a process and structure to have this conversation. I am open to ideas from Opposition parties but I suggest that the forum on pluralism and patronage undertaken by the Department of Education and Skills in 2012 is a model that can work quite well. There would be a degree of public consultation and the input of clinicians. The Deputy's point is important as many of our hospitals are voluntary and many clinicians highlight the benefits of the voluntary system, preferring that system to working in a hospital that is fully owned and funded by the HSE.

It is important to say that of the 49 hospitals we have in this country, 15 are voluntary, with two having joint boards and 32 being statutory. We speak of voluntary hospitals and joint boards in a big discussion but they include Beaumont, the Rotunda, the Coombe, St. James's, Tallaght, Cappagh, Holles Street, the Mater, the Royal Eye and Ear hospital, St. Vincent's University Hospital, St. Michael's Hospital, the Mercy University Hospital in the Deputy's county, South Infirmary-Victoria University Hospital, Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Temple Street and the National Children's Hospital at Tallaght. The Deputy is not trying to reduce the conversation to a simple matter but anybody doing so is missing the point that we have a rich tapestry in terms of how our health service is run and governed. It is high time we had a debate on whether there are better ways to do this and what direction people want to take. We should not ignore that all the hospitals I mentioned are either voluntary or have a joint board. They provide very important services.

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