Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I fully accept that we need more.

The Deputy is correct that the Public Sector Pay Commission said that we need to address the issue of pay parity. I expect in the coming weeks - I am being quite specific in that regard - to have concrete proposals to put to the consultant body. What I am saying very clearly in this House is that the de Buitléir report said very clearly that we should offer a Sláintecare-type A contract, with pay parity for new entrant consultants who take up this contract. I have no interest no interest - none, nada - in using taxpayers' money to further embed a practice that neither I nor the Deputy believe in, which is using public beds in our hospitals to profit private health insurance companies. I am happy to say that on the record of this House. My counterpart in Fianna Fáil will not do so. We need to get serious about radically overhauling work practices regarding private medicine in our public hospitals. We will pay for that and will bring in pay parity for that as part of any talks.

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