Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would very much welcome the opportunity for the committee to engage with the HIA.

As I said to Deputy Kelleher, the function available to me to ask the HIA to review and report on various issues is a mechanism I am happy to use in collaboration with this committee. As members know, we brought in lifetime community rating to ensure there would be an incentive and reason for people to sign up at a younger age and to have balance in the market.

The risk equalisation scheme is targeted at helping the older cohort but that requires making sure one continues to bring younger people into the market also. The Deputy's suggestion is good in that it would be very useful to engage with the HIA.