Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The Minister for Health and Children set out the position on the question of the private health insurance market and the policy options available. It is also important to state that she is committed to developing during the session a comprehensive set of measures to bring stability to the private health insurance market. This includes a regulatory status and the sustainable structure of capitalisation of the VHI. Many issues are being examined and I cannot anticipate Government discussion or decisions. It is being dealt with by the Minister and will be brought to the Government in due course.

On the devolution of policing and justice matters in Northern Ireland, talks are ongoing and these matters are being dealt with in direct discussions by the parties themselves. We have to hope a successful outcome will come to those discussions. It is important that this be the case. I impressed the urgency of the situation on the Prime Minister when I met him recently.

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