Mr. Jim Dowdall:

I thank the Chairman and the committee members for providing GloHealth with the opportunity to discuss such important matters. I am joined by my colleague, Ms Teresa Kelly Oroz, our legal and regulatory director.

To start with, I acknowledge the significant challenges facing the Minister and the Department of Health. Reduced budgets, fewer staff, more demand and flash fires every week, such as medical cards, top-up payments and waiting lists, present an intimidating, daunting and formidable set of challenges and no Department is under such pressure. It is not surprising that this pressure and the environment create their own responses which, unfortunately, include a bunker mentality of extreme defensiveness and self-justification, a focus on short-term measures - what will get one through today, this week or this month - and no focus on essential reform or planning.

In the health insurance area, we see all of these traits.