(Cavan-Monaghan): Arising from the Minister's statement that hospital treatment in public wards will be available for all, is he satisfied that there are now sufficient hospital beds to provide this service?

I will have to answer that question under a number of headings. First, the number of beds, as the Deputy probably knows, is being increased very substantially all the time. We have a major building programme of beds for acute general hospital services under way. Secondly, in so far as there may in any particular area be a shortage of beds, it will be a matter for the medical staff of the hospital to decide their priorities. The extension of cover for hospital services will not affect that priority decision-making of the hospital in any way. Finally, it will be part of the new order of things to encourage more people who can afford to do so to go to private accommodation and thereby relieve the public ward situation.

(Cavan-Monaghan): If that is so, would the Minister agree that the excuse of the consultants when they refused to operate the scheme suggested by his predecessor that there were not sufficient beds, was not a valid excuse and was simply a guise to ensure they would get more fees?

I do not know anything about that.