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Sláintecare and the loss of income from private patients

‘Funding gap’ was fully costed in original report

Letters to the Editor. Illustration: Paul Scott
The Irish Times - Letters to the Editor.
Fri Jun 26 2026 - 06:00 • 1 MIN READ

Sir, – Sam Coulter-Smith (Letters, June 24th) suspects that one of the unintended consequences of Sláintecare is that there will be a funding gap to the exchequer from the loss of private patient activity.

But, to set the record straight, this was fully costed in the original Sláintecare report and debated and understood by the Oireachtas committee members. It comes as no surprise and is the cost of a universal healthcare system ... which is what we really want. – Yours, etc

STEVE THOMAS,

Edward Kennedy chair of health policy and management,

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