Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Reilly for tabling the motion, which calls on the Government to instruct the VHI to postpone an increase in premia to allow us to consider the Milliman report. It is important for all of us to consider the report's recommendations in order that spending on private health insurance is properly looked after.

There is a new element of fear on the doorsteps in the past few weeks, especially among the elderly. With more than 569 patients on hospital trolleys in January and people's health at risk due to unemployment, financial worries, household bills, sick children and so on, people are afraid to cancel their premium in case they fall ill. They are afraid to take the gamble that they may need specialist help in the future and they are afraid to enter the public health system because many of them have been let down by it in the past.

The VHI proposal to increase premia by up to 45% is unacceptable and immoral and, above all, it will put untold strain on many people. The company has 1.35 million customers who cannot afford the increase at this time. They have private health insurance because that is where they have been led by the Government and the Minister. They wanted to make sure that if anything happened to them, they would have cover. The doors of hospitals are bulging with people trying to get in but they cannot be taken. Couples with young children are struggling to meet their child care bills and mortgage repayments. Thousands of them have given up private health insurance. An elderly man with no family who is surviving on €216 a week is trying to pay for his cover because he is afraid that if anything happens to him, he will not be looked after and he will have to wait two or three years for treatment if he does not have health insurance.

As Deputy Reilly said, thousands of people, particularly older people, are dropping their health insurance cover. They have worked hard all their lives and they have reared their children. They set aside money to pay their premia in their twilight years because they do not want to be a burden on their children. I met a couple recently, both in their 80s, who said it will cost them more than €2,000 a year to be part of the private health system, a sum they can ill afford. One man to whom I spoke last night said, at the end of the day, he had to wait almost 18 months for a hip replacement.

It is important that we have the opportunity to read the Milliman report because what is happening is a form of elder abuse. Many of the elderly feel secure because they have private health insurance. They feel they do not have to turn to their families if they fall ill but, above all, all they want is fairness. Services are not being provided to people through our public hospitals. They are told they have to wait up to six months for different procedures. I was contacted by a man before Christmas whose operation, which required daily preparation, was cancelled four times. We are living in a country in which many changes are happening and many of us, including myself, are getting older quicker than we thought.

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