Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

Is the Government taking any emergency measures to rescue half of the population of this State from the shocking debacle that the Taoiseach has allowed to develop in the area of private health insurance? Is there the slightest hint of embarrassment in his Government that the policy of privatisation he has pursued for ten years has, in this particular instance, become a monster that is stalking the health needs of our people, thirsting for the maximisation of profit, threatening further sharp increases in the double tax known as private health insurance and threatening to end the concept of community rating?

The Minister for Health and Children was warned last July that speculators could drive a coach and six through the legislation in this area, that big snouts were lining themselves up at the trough to organise another smash and grab raid for a further three years, and then walk away with the proceeds. Why was there not an immediate response from the Minister for Health and Children and from the Government? The Quinn Direct-BUPA Ireland wolf is not just at the door, but in the bed masquerading as a newborn babe. The Minister, Deputy Harney, is standing by like a bemused Little Red Riding Hood, saying "Oh Mr. Quinn, what big teeth you have, what a big appetite for profits, tut tut". Meanwhile, BUPA has walked away with up to €100 million in profit, soaked from ordinary people who have been double taxed as they feel they must have private insurance due to the Government's failure to provide a just and equal health service.

The owners of Quinn Direct may know a lot about mixing concrete but nothing about health care, yet they think they can walk away over the next three years with another €100 million. A measure of the contempt which they have for the old, the sick and the handicapped can be seen in one of today's newspapers, in which they suggest that some of the VHI clients could be transferred to them. A few old people can be thrown to them to cover their backs and everything will be all right, as if our elderly patients were sacks of cement to be offloaded from one pick-up truck to another.

What is the Government's position on this debacle? Did the Cabinet discuss this issue this morning? Will we have emergency legislation to curb the greed of these private profiteers who are determined to trash any concept of equality in the health service? They are parasites because they are thriving on human necessity. What is the Taoiseach's position?

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