Dáil debates

Tuesday, 9 July 2019

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí (Atógáil) - Leaders' Questions (Resumed)

 

2:45 pm

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Those private clinics bring in additional revenue for hospitals. Approximately €700 million is brought into our public health service every year in fees paid to hospitals, and not to consultants, for private patients. The de Buitléir report will be published as soon as the Minister is ready to do so. The report refers to the implementation of the recommendation in Sláintecare to disentangle public and private medicine in our hospitals. The term "disentangle" is a very good one. This is not something that can be done quickly or overnight. It involves a fundamental change to the consultants' contracts, for a start. That will have to be negotiated and will take time. A very long period may be involved where we phase out all contracts and replace them with new ones and that will also take some time to achieve. It will also be necessary to find €700 million or €800 million to compensate our public hospitals for the loss of private income. We should never forget that. Private patients do not just pay private income to consultants; they also pay private income to public hospitals. That loss of €700 million would have to be replaced or public services would have to be cut back as a result. I do not think that anybody wants that

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