Dáil debates

Tuesday, 30 June 2020

6:55 pm

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Murphy. My preference is to start from a position of transparency.

We must also be mindful of issues of commercial sensitivity and of protecting individual identities in cases. We all know information has to be withheld in those cases.

I am puzzled by the comparisons I have heard and I would need to see the underlying reports. It was alleged earlier on that the cost, presumably per bed night, was multiples here of what the NHS procured from private hospitals. I would need to see the detail on it. It sounds puzzling. I understand that the contract was done on a cost basis. I have no reason to believe that is not true and, therefore, it would have to be the case that it costs several times more here per bed night. It is something I will certainly be looking at.

I appreciate the Deputy's comments on the deal and I had made similar remarks. While I was critical of aspects of the deal, I fully accepted that it had to be done. To some extent, the empty beds told a story of success because they were not needed. The Deputy and I, along with everybody else, would have loved to have seen them deployed to non-Covid-19 and elective care instead. We have to be clear that if we are to enter into new arrangements with the private hospitals due to the extent of Covid-19 and the depletion of resources it is causing in terms of our capacity, which we would be well advised to do if we want patients to get care, we need to make sure that whatever agreement is put in place, that first and foremost it delivers high quality care for the patients who need it. Second, I agree that it also has to represent value for money. We will be looking at that, particularly in the context of the best way to engage for however long we want to put an arrangement in place.

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