Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 275: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the plans held by her Department with regard to reports of the imposition of private hospitals on the grounds of public hospitals in Galway City and County; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14071/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The co-location initiative involves the building and operation of private hospitals on the sites of public hospitals, the transfer of private activity in the public hospital to the new co-located private hospital with the resultant freeing up of additional public beds for public patients in the public hospital.

In May 2006, the HSE published a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union inviting expressions of interest from private consortia wishing to become involved in this initiative on 11 hospital sites including University College Hospital Galway. As part of the competitive dialogue, with consortia who expressed an interest in the initiative in Galway, the pre-qualified bidders decided, for commercial reasons, not to continue with the process in respect of Galway. However, this does not preclude the Health Service Executive from entering into another procurement process in respect of co-location at University College Hospital Galway in the future.