Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 128 together.

Deputy Barry must remember that when reforming a health service, one has to continue to run it on a day-to-day basis while those reforms are under way.

Discussions are ongoing with the St. Vincent's Healthcare Group on the terms of the State's investment in the new hospital and, in particular, arrangements for the protection of this investment - I had a question on this earlier from Deputy Shortall. There are long-standing arrangements in place between the State and the 17 voluntary hospitals to allow for public investment in the development of health care facilities and for these facilities to be protected for publicly funded health care. The Mulvey agreement envisaged that further consideration was required in regard to the precise legal mechanisms necessary to protect the State's considerable investment in the development of this much-needed national maternity hospital. My Department is actively engaged in discussing suitable arrangements to ensure the facilities are legally secured on an ongoing basis for the delivery of publicly funded maternity, gynaecology and neonatal services. I hope to update the Government and the Oireachtas on this progress very shortly.

On the issue of the allocation of private space in the new hospital, I would like to clarify that there is no differentiation between public and private inpatient rooms in the hospital designs. All inpatient rooms are of a similar, high quality design given we want to build a state-of-the-art new hospital. In terms of outpatient consulting space, some limited private space will be provided, based upon existing policy and subject to any policy development, in so far as this is necessary to support the commitment in the current consultant contract. As the Deputy knows, the current consultant contract does envisage that consultants can carry out a degree of private work. If that changes in line with the Sláintecare report or any consultant contract discussions, which I think is the Deputy's question, that will be reflected in the changes to policy development.

In regard to the more general issue of private care in public hospitals, I look forward to the Dáil debate on the Sláintecare report tomorrow and I will give full consideration to the report's recommendations when I have had the opportunity to hear views from across the Dáil. Following the debate, it is my intention to bring detailed analysis and proposals to Government. I have no doubt the report will be an essential document for this and future Governments and all parties in the fundamental reform of our health services over the next decade. While I know the Deputy was not in a position to sign off on the report, I acknowledge he worked very hard with many colleagues on it.

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