David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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629. To ask the Minister for Health the total cost of purchasing care for public patients in private hospitals in each of the years 2016 to 2021 and to date in 2022, by private hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12836/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Payments from the National Treatment Purchase Fund to Private Hospitals are detailed in the attached document. 

Details regarding payments from the Health Service Executive would be an operational matter and I have asked them to respond to the Deputy as soon as possible.

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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630. To ask the Minister for Health the total cost of purchasing care for public patients abroad in each of the years 2010 to 2021 and to date in 2022; the number of patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12837/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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631. To ask the Minister for Health the total cost to the State of providing private healthcare in public hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12838/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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632. To ask the Minister for Health the total cost of removing private healthcare from public hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12839/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The removal of private practice from public hospitals is a core principle of Sláintecare, ensuring that public healthcare facilities are used for public patients only, and that public patients can access public hospitals based on clinical need. A roadmap to support this policy direction will be developed during the course of the Sláintecare Implementation Strategy & Action Plan 2021-2023. Pending its development, a detailed estimate of the cost of removing private care from public hospitals is not currently available given the wide range of variables that have to be accounted for. It is noted, nonetheless, that the de Buitléir Report estimated that the current income from private activity was approximately €524 million in 2018 and that the additional public activity which would happen if private activity was no longer occurring in public hospitals would generate additional statutory public charges of up to €52 million.