Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

Let us take insurance reform. When we started to reform insurance, we did not get involved with simple woolly ideas. We got involved in serious structural change. We had a plan. We faced down the vested interests and even though parties opposite wanted me to allow everybody to get their legal costs, which would have meant no change, we resisted that. What has happened? Motor insurance has been reduced by €1 billion during the past three years and insurance on employment, employers' liability and public liability insurance is down by more than €600 million, a saving to consumers of €1.6 billion. When the Opposition talks about waste, let it talk about the facts. We have turned the corner on health reform.

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