Madam, – I refer to the article by Anne Lucey (Home News, October 4th) regarding the delays in opening a HSE community hospital for older people in Dingle due to concerns by Health Information and Health Authority (Hiqa) about its functionality. Leaving aside the concerns of Hiqa, it beggars belief that the HSE paid €16.4 million for a 68-bed nursing home, a staggering €214,000 per bed.
From my experience in the building industry I would expect an equivalent facility built to the same standard by a private operator to cost in the region of €90,000 per bed, about 2/5ths of what the HSE paid.
I can only recall the adage of my late father on spending other people’s money: “It’s easy to flog another man’s horse”. – Yours, etc,