Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

The Health Insurance Act 1994 and the Health Insurance (Amendment) Act 2003 provide for the regulations, whereby new entrants can participate in the health insurance sector. The Government wants to see Quinn Direct's proposals which will be examined by the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority. We will have to see the arrangements in the contract drawn up when Quinn Direct purchased BUPA Ireland before we can make a decision. We are taking legal advice on how we should handle the position. We have to consider the employment position and take into account BUPA's 400,000 policyholders. We have to see the structure that Quinn Direct will have for its new corporate entity. The Barrington group has been examining the proposals and the case made by a number of insurance companies, including VHI Healthcare. The Government hopes to complete this process as quickly as it can. The first issue we will have to examine is that of the arrangement of the new corporate entity. We will have to consider how it fits in with the 1994 and 2003 Acts. It may be outside the scope of the Acts — it may not have been foreseen by them. While that is what it looks like, we cannot be sure until we know the full position. For example, we will have to see the application that Quinn Direct will make to the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority and the Health Insurance Authority. We cannot be certain until then. We will have to deal with a number of important issues. We discussed the matter earlier today. We have had a number of meetings. The Health Insurance Authority is also examining the issue. We will have to try to make some early decisions on it.

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