Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter and for being honest and truthful. I share the view that there was no alternative option, when we were looking at what was happening in other countries, other than to ensure we had every possible bed, ventilator and ICU bed. That is what everybody in the House was rightly questioning at the time and, thank God, we secured that capacity and, even better, did not have to use it all. That is a sign of success.

I share the Deputy's concern that this cannot be about ideology. This is not about anyone becoming Nye Bevan or about advancing the legitimate issues the House may wish to advance in respect of Sláintecare and the like in what one might call "peacetime". It has to be about showing pragmatism and common sense in getting the best outcome. The current arrangement is, effectively, an arrangement for five months with a break clause after three months, which will come in at the end of June. We have an automatic right to extend for a further two months, which would bring us to the end of August.

The Government will consider this matter on Friday. There are two things we need to try to achieve. First, we will need to have more capacity for a potential second wave, which is a very real prospect. I would not like to be the Minister who gave up that capacity and then needed to start looking for it again in a second wave. Second, we need more capacity now to deliver non-Covid-19 care also. Deputy Harkin spoke passionately about people with cancer and we are now seeing a lot of public health services beginning to be provided with the private capacity. Cancer services for public patients have moved from St. Vincent's University Hospital to St. Vincent's Private Hospital and from the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore to the Hermitage Medical Clinic, and so on. It is about providing the potential for a Covid-19 surge capacity that we may need. If we are even to provide the normal health service, inadequate though that may be in trying to provide more capacity, it is about trying to get that balance right, which we will do over the next few days when the Government considers this again on Friday.

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