Dáil debates

Thursday, 6 March 2008

10:30 am

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

I object to the debate on the Bill being guillotined at 1 p.m. Yesterday we debated a number of very important amendments. However, the Minister introduced an amendment at the last minute on Monday to allow for the provision of tax breaks for investors in hospice care. Hospice care in Ireland has traditionally been not-for-profit, voluntary and based on fund-raising and bequests. This is a major change. It may be an opportunity for the Government to complete its privatisation and two-tier health system agenda. The guillotine allows no Opposition amendment to the Minister's late amendment, as there may not be an opportunity to debate it today. This measure is a repeat of what the former Minister for Finance, Mr. McCreevy, did five years ago on 5 March 2003 when, he later admitted, he had been lobbied by a doctor in his own constituency in respect of private day hospitals. Every party and Member in this House wants to see the provision of more hospice care but it should not be to further the agenda of developing a two-tier health service. We are seeing what has happened to women in Portlaoise as a consequence of the development of the two-tier service and we saw what happened to Susie Long. Now people will not get the care and attention that may help them to survive, or even when they come for palliative care and pain relief or terminal care——

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