Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 111: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the assessment that has been carried out on the staffing implications of co-located private hospitals, including consultants and other health professionals; her views on whether this will increase the difficulties encountered in recruiting staff for certain posts in the public health system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9305/08]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 151: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the details of the deals signed for co-located private hospitals on the grounds of public hospitals, including future commitments on the use of these facilities beyond the lifespan of the current Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9290/08]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 222: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the person, persons, groups, bodies or agencies from who she or the Health Service Executive sought or received advice in the matter of co-location; if such individuals, groups, bodies or agencies are expected to become future beneficiaries of this decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9752/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 111, 151 and 222 together.

The Government's co-location initiative aims to make available approximately 1,000 public acute hospital beds for public patients by transferring private activity, with some limited exceptions from public acute hospitals to co-located private hospitals. The co-location initiative is designed not only to increase public acute bed capacity into the future but is considered to be the fastest way of doing this. A very important benefit of the initiative is that the beds made available for public patients in public hospitals under the initiative will come fully staffed (in contrast to the position which usually obtains where direct capital investment is used to fund public hospital capital developments). The Health Service Executive has informed my Department that it has received detailed staffing plans for the co-located projects and that it will be the responsibility of the private partner concerned to ensure adequate staffing at the co-located private hospital.

In accordance with the competitive dialogue procurement process which is being used, the Board of the HSE, approved, in July last, successful bidder status for the development of co-located hospitals at the following six hospitals sites:

Waterford Regional Hospital

Cork University Hospital

Limerick Regional Hospital

Sligo Regional Hospital

Beaumont Hospital

St. James's Hospital.

Since then the hospitals and the bidders have been working towards finalising the Project Agreements. It is expected that the Project Agreements for Beaumont, Cork and Limerick Hospitals will be signed very soon. It is also anticipated that the signing of the Project Agreements for the other three sites will be signed in the near future.

Connolly Hospital and Tallaght Hospital, which are also participating in the co-location initiative, are at an earlier stage of the procurement process. A tender in relation to Connolly Hospital is under consideration and it is expected that the invitation to tender (ITT) for Tallaght Hospital will issue shortly.

It is expected that the co-located private hospitals will open within three years of receiving planning permission. My Department has been advised by the National Development Finance Agency and by the Chief State Solicitor's Office and the Office of the Attorney General on the financial assessment method employed by the Health Service Executive and on legal issues pertaining to the co-location initiative respectively since the Ministerial direction on co-location was issued to the Health Service Executive in July 2005. The issue of these agencies having beneficial ownership of co-located private hospitals does not arise. The Health Service Executive has informed my Department that it has been advised by A& L Goodbody Solicitors, Farrell, Grant Sparks and Teamwork on the co-location initiative. The Executive has stated that none of these firms has a beneficial interest in the ownership of any bidder. I should add that the invitation to tender used in the procurement process for the co-location initiative by the Health Service Executive requires bidders to identify any conflict of interest or any potential conflict of interest. The co-location Project Agreements also set out robust contractual arrangements in relation to conflicts of interest and change in beneficial ownership in order to ensure that the public interest is fully protected.