Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

These facilities will be funded at no cost to the taxpayer, except for tax forgone, which is about 41% of the investment plus pay related social insurance, PRSI, and come to less than half the traditional cost of such facilities. They must make their services available to the public hospital at discounted prices. There will be a single clinical governance, training and research and development, which do not occur in the private health care system at the moment. In addition to the lease of the land, in some cases there will be profit sharing arrangements to the benefit of the public hospital

I did not foist this policy on anyone but we initiated it and the option existed for hospitals to avail of it if they so wished. Contrary to what has been said about the Adelaide Hospital Society and other religious organisations, representatives of Tallaght Hospital are very enthusiastic about this project and have often contacted me asking when it will proceed.