asked the Minister for Health if it is proposed to make available public hospital beds to consultants for the treatment of their private patients under the terms of the proposed revised health scheme.

Public hospital beds are at present made available to consultants for the treatment of private patients. No fundamental change is envisaged in these arrangements.

Were the newspaper reports incorrect in suggesting that in accordance with this new scheme being introduced all public beds would be made available to consultants?

There are some informal arrangements worked out between individual hospitals and the consultants. We have no intention of changing those.

Were those newspaper and media reports incorrect?

I have warned the Deputy before about this Fine Gael preoccupation with cuttings from newspapers.

The Minister seems to be fairly preoccupied with the media himself. He is no stranger to them. I am asking if the reports arising out of his press conference, suggesting that consultants will have access to all public beds were incorrect?

I did not see them. If there were such reports they were incorrect.

I am sure the Minister did not bother reading the newspapers for those few days.

I am saying quite clearly and specifically to the Deputy that the arrangements which exist at present will not be interfered with.