In April, I first reported on a legal dispute between the Mater Private and the HSE. The action stemmed from the state’s decision to effectively take control of Ireland’s €1.2 billion private hospital sector in early April 2020 to boost Ireland’s healthcare capacity in light of Covid-19. The Mater Private network, the country’s largest private hospital operator, signed up to the contract. The industry-wide contract was conducted at great speed, and the overarching idea was that no private hospital would profit as a result of the deal. Instead, operating costs would be covered. Things soured, however, when the private equity-owned…