Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group)

This debate is about private insurance and competition within that market. Competition is really about maximising profits, which is what is happening. In the past few days huge increases have been proposed in the cost of health insurance. Quinn Healthcare has proposed an increase of 12% and one can take it that the other companies will shortly follow suit. If the Government raises the charges for private and semi-private accommodation in public hospitals in the budget, that will further increase the cost of health insurance. There will be a number of significant increases, as there have been in the past few years.

This insurance favours young and healthy people rather than elderly and ill people. It all relates back to the type of health system in this country, which is a two tier system that favours very wealthy people in society who can buy health insurance and get preferential access to health services. What we need is a public health system, paid for through progressive taxation, that is free at the point of use, with access based on medical need. That should be the priority of this Government and Dáil.

That priority has been put at risk by the policies of previous Governments and the current Government. One example is the huge reductions in budgets for the general hospital service and for acute hospitals. In south Tipperary there was a €13 million reduction in the budget in the past three years; in Blanchardstown the reduction was approximately €20 million in the past two years. Most hospitals in the country are in a similar position. That means beds are closed, beds are put in corridors, there are trolleys in accident and emergency departments, access to services is hugely reduced and there is huge pressure on staff. Unless these budget reductions and the moratorium on recruitment of replacement staff are reversed, the current crisis in health services will intensify and ordinary people will find it almost impossible to get services.

I believe the services should be locally based and accessible. Independent international professional research shows that locally based services in smaller units give better quality care, better value for money and better access to services. Unfortunately, that is not happening with the Minister's reform programme, which is transferring services to larger hospitals, as if big is best. However, big is not best for quality, value for money or access. We should focus on providing public health services paid for by progressive taxation, with access based on medical need.

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