Local Dublin South West TD Seán Crowe has expressed his concerns about the cosy deal struck between the HSE and private hospitals, saying that the State has agreed a minimum payment of at least €345 million but like the building of the National Children’s Hospital and the National Broadband Plan has agreed no maximum price for the arrangement. Teachta Crowe said: “Bed capacity in the public health system has been a major challenge for years, and supplementing this capacity with private hospital beds during the Covid-19 pandemic was the right thing to do. “However, the contractual arrangement that the HSE have entered into is a very good deal for private hospitals, but it’s looking like a very bad deal for hard pressed Irish taxpayers.
“A minimum cost of at least €345 million has been agreed, but, like the building of the National Children’s Hospital and the National Broadband Plan, no maximum price has been agreed for this arrangement. “We really don’t know what the final cost of this cosy deal will be, but we can be sure it will be much higher than the Minister and the HSE have acknowledged so far. “On top of all this, we don’t know what level of capacity is being utilised in these hospitals to the benefit of public patients as again no figures have been provided. “I am calling on the acting Minister for Health Simon Harris to publish these public patient numbers and the full details of the projected cost of this deal without delay as this cosy deal will have to paid by Irish taxpayers when this crisis ends.”
