Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I said very clearly that I have not met anybody involved with the development of the proposal. Senator Reilly has indeed mentioned this proposal to me.

I am well aware of it because it is very visible, with a number of people promoting it. I have not had any meetings with anyone involved in the development of the proposal. Senator Reilly has mentioned it to me. It is not for me to speak for him in this House, although I believe his view is that the extra capacity could indeed help people on the public waiting lists in the interim as we build our universal healthcare system.

The question of which private facilities are used for which procedures is not a political decision for me to make. It is a decision which is made by the NTPF or, on occasion, by the HSE. I am open to correction since I am not overly familiar with this but my understanding is that planning permission is being sought for the hospital in Swords, or it is at least certainly not built yet, so no service level agreement or the like will be agreed until such a time as it is. Those matters are for the NTPF to address. We will unapologetically continue to use all capacity, both public and private, to try to drive down waiting lists in the interim as we build our Sláintecare health service.

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