Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

Why has this matter been left until the eleventh hour, when the damage may well already have been done? Why did the Government not react immediately when the issue was flagged last July? It is clear that there is no urgency on this issue. Such negligence of the highest kind reflects the Government's bias in favour of those who see the human and health needs of people simply as a cold marketplace in which business can be conducted and profit made. The big business interests which are moving into the health care sector for private profit — I refer to speculators and beef barons, etc. — do not take the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, seriously in any sense as a defender of public health. Why should they, given that she is robbing land from public hospitals and giving it to private hospitals and then lecturing the consultants because they want to moonlight in those private hospitals? How can they take her seriously in such circumstances? Community rating is based on a concept of equality among human beings, but the Minister represents a party which promotes inequality. I refer to the Progressive Democrats, which advocates a system "red in tooth and claw". The Minister is on the same wavelength as those who are poised to make a killing on foot of people's private health insurance needs.

Does the Taoiseach agree that ordinary working people who pay massive amounts of taxation should not feel pressurised to take out private health insurance? They are under such pressure because the Government is incapable of providing a health service in which they can be seen immediately and efficiently. I ask the Taoiseach again to tell the House, on foot of the advice given to the Cabinet this morning, what the most likely outcome to this problem is. Will Quinn Direct be given a three-year period of grace, after which some other so-called entrepreneur will be able to move into the health insurance field in its place and walk away with another fortune? What will the Taoiseach do to stop this scandal?

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