Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 4:

In page 6, lines 10 to 12, to delete paragraphs (b) and (c).

My reading of this is that the net effect of section 4 as it stands would be to remove the requirement to lay regulations before the Oireachtas in draft form. When we go back to the substantive Act of 1994, as amended in 2001, and we transpose the proposed changes and the impact of the Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2012, we note that the proposed deletion of section 4 and what we are having deleted here by the acceptance of section 4 of the amending Bill states that where regulations are proposed to be made under (a) this section for the purposes of sections 7(a), 7(b), 8, 9, 10, 12 or 13, the listed sections are (b) any of the listed sections, a draft of the regulations shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas and the regulation shall not be made until a resolution approving of the draft has been passed by each such House. That is an important requirement as things stand and my sense of it is that with the Minister's proposed private insurance based so-called reform of the health system greater scrutiny and safeguards would be required. I cannot understand why we would then seek to eliminate the requirement of draft regulations being laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas for their approval. My reading of it is that that is an absolute requirement. Members need to be wary of what is entailed in regard to section 4 of the amending legislation now before us.

My amendment seeks, in page 6, lines 10 to 13, to delete paragraphs (b) and (c) of section 4 as it presents. The purpose of that is to hold to the existing position which I would prefer to see strengthened in respect of the changes signalled regarding the role of the private insurance sector in our health care delivery system in the future but at this point it is imperative that we hold the position as it stands.