Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Sometimes I think we do not live in the real world. I heard the reports today that the Insolvency Service of Ireland, ISI, has concluded only four mortgage deals, as Senator Hayden said, in a year. ISI said progress is slow; that is the understatement of the year. It is ineffective. My colleague, Senator Quinn, said it is time we brought that legislation back into the House to make it effective. All the evidence shows that the system only works when there is intervention on behalf of distressed mortgage and personal or business debt holders who are able to negotiate write-downs and sustainable deals. Organisations such as the Irish Mortgage Holders Organisation are doing that effectively with some of the institutions. Nothing else is working. Negotiation must be the first step. The Government must put its energies behind that because the banks also need to clear off this debt and put sustainable arrangements in place so they can get on with their business. I support the call for the Minister to come into the House to revisit that ineffective legislation.

I very strongly support the call for public consultation in this House on universal health insurance. If we can deliver on this in a cost-effective way and offer reliable universal health care for the country, we will be successful and it will be great. I stood on this platform myself. However all the indications are that we are going down the wrong road. Last night I tabled an Adjournment matter before the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy White on GP care for under-sixes. He completely contradicted what 200 GPs said to me and other Senators in Galway City. The Minister of State said that on three occasions he has offered the GPs an opportunity to negotiate.