Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)

The announcement by the VHI last week of its intention to increase its premiums by such huge percentages undoubtedly came as a shock to everyone. While it came as a shock to each subscriber, it particularly affected those in a certain age cohort who avail of its Plan B+ and who now face an increase of 45%. This sent shockwaves throughout the country and through each subscriber to the VHI, at a time when such people were losing out on their pensions or whatever investments they may have had. They then received this hammer blow in respect of their VHI premiums at a time, as Deputy Breen has noted, when people are at an age when they are concerned about their health. This is absolutely unacceptable.

It is merely a symptom of what is happening in the health service. I have been a Member for many years and year after year, we have waiting lists, people on trolleys and so on. The service is no better today than was the case ten or 15 years ago. I happened to visit my local hospital in Letterkenny last Monday night to see a few neighbours and saw with my own eyes what was going on in the corridors at 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. People still were in wheelchairs and on trolleys while waiting to be admitted. I do not blame those who work in Letterkenny General Hospital or anyone who works at the coalface of the health service. I blame the system itself and until it is changed, we will face crisis after crisis, year after year. The Government used to pay €3 billion into the system, but this year the equivalent amount was €16 billion. I wonder whether any improvement for that money can be discerned. As matters stand, it cannot be improved and even were one to double the money, problems would still arise unless the system was changed. We must move to a system that has already been proven to be efficient in other countries. Fine Gael is not reinventing the wheel in this regard as it already has been invented for us.

I also wish to raise a local issue. Last week, the Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland, Mr. McGimpsey, cast doubts on the provision of radiotherapy services in Altnagelvin Area Hospital, Derry. He stated that while they might be able to build the facility, and there was a commitment to that effect, they would not have the requisite finances of £30 million to operate it. The people in the northern end of this country were depending on that facility being available and the Minister of State and his senior Minister should get in touch with the authorities in Northern Ireland to ensure there is no delay in the provision of this facility and that it will be provided by 2015, as previously indicated.

My final point is that I know of district hospitals in my native county in which half the beds are empty. However, the general hospital is bursting at the seams and is unable to move these patients from the general hospital to the step-down facilities because it lacks the staff as a result of the embargo. It is unforgivable that hospital beds are empty because they lack staff while the general hospital is unable to take in people. These are huge problems that must be addressed and hopefully this debate will help to get something done about it.

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