Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Brian Hayes for sharing his time in this important debate. It is fundamentally misguided to premise the country's health care system on ability to pay and to locate the private commercial investor at the heart of health care provision. A commercial "for profit" hospital care regime will only serve to reinforce the two-tier health system in this country. In recent times the ethos of the Irish public policy has moved away from the Berlin social model towards the Boston economic model as espoused by the Government and in particular the neo-conservatives who form the Progressive Democrats. We have witnessed the disposal of the some of the State's key assets in a range of sectors, particularly in communications, and the health services are now the next item for sale in the Government's determined rush to privatisation.

The philosophy that ability to pay should guarantee better services in health is in line with the mantra of the Progressive Democrats that inequality in society is good and necessary. However, market economics have little or no place in the health sector and in the delivery of health services. People do not choose to get sick and those who do fall ill should not be punished or disadvantaged for not having the means to avail of private health care. Our health service should be based on fairness, equality, justice and meeting the needs of the sick and ailing in society. We should be looking to the models of our European neighbours, many of which have excellent public health services. The United States is no beacon of inspiration in the area of health care. Its health care regime is elitist, expensive and fundamentally inequitable.

Our priority must be the provision of primary health care for all, the improvement of accident and emergency services, and the tackling of MRSA and other new super-bugs appearing on the scene. Instead, co-location has been elevated to cornerstone status of our health care policy at the expense of other vital services. It is ironic that the fundamentally undemocratic nature of hospital co-location reflects the fundamentally undemocratic reality whereby the one party that preached co-location more than any other was almost eradicated in the recent general election. There is, unarguably, no electoral mandate for co-location and yet it is now the policy of the Fianna Fáil, Progressive Democrats and Green Party Government, and has received the belated support of a number of Government-supporting Independents. Such a volte-face by parties that opposed co-location before the general election does little to strengthen the belief of our citizens in politics and the political process.

If hospital co-location goes ahead, it will result in a cherry-picking of patients from public hospitals with the consequence that public hospitals will lose out as vital moneys currently paid by insurance companies will not now be available for the public sector. This can only lead to falling standards in public health care and further demoralisation of health care workers who, across a broad range of health care vocations, already feel under threat and siege from the Government. The number of groups within our health care system that have a grievance with the present Minister grows on an almost weekly basis. A demoralised health care sector does not bode well for the future.

This country is now at a crossroads on health policy. If we do not cry halt to the relentless privatisation of the State's assets there will be little left when this already discredited Government leaves office. The Government is happy to take in billions of euro in taxpayers' money every year and ignore the basic concept of fair play in hospital care. Failure to invest in our geriatric services continues to force the elderly into private nursing homes and a further programme of "for-profit" health care is planned for community services. The Government was given a message by the people in the general election when 75% of the Minister's colleagues were unceremoniously removed from office. The Government ignores this message. Fine Gael is not willing to stand by and let the wishes of the people be trampled upon.

I endorse the comments of my senior colleague, Deputy Brian Hayes, in proposing the motion. The Minister should change her mind because this proposal is fundamentally unjust and unfair.

See this speech in context