Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)

This Bill serves to highlight the inequity in our health system in that we must bring in legislation to provide for increases in tax credits to facilitate private companies in making profits on people's fear that they will not get access to the health services they need. That whole market has been driven by fear in that if people want to be sure they can leap-frog the queues when they need to enter our hospital system they can get the access they are often denied under the existing health system.

This morning I was contacted by a constituent who has a 95% blockage in his carotid artery and is in imminent risk of a massive stroke. He does not have health insurance. He has been told there is a two year waiting list for his operation. Even with the recognition that his case is an emergency he has been put on a list for admission to Galway University Hospital. He has been waiting two weeks to get a bed in that hospital. The accident and emergency department is overrun with trolleys and it cannot accept any patients.

If that man had private health insurance he would have been admitted last week, had his operation, would be recovering now and waiting to go home to rejoin his family. Instead, he is sitting at home paralysed with fear, wondering if he will have a stroke before he is called for admission to Galway University Hospital. That is the health system we have created, and that is the system that has resulted in ordinary people who cannot afford private health insurance sitting in fear. Other people are at the pin of their collar trying to ensure they have insurance so that in the event of such a situation arising for them or a member of their family they can get access to our health system. That is a shame on us all, and it is a shame on any Government that perpetuates such a system.

We heard from the Minister's contribution last night that €1.9 billion is being paid in health premiums. If that money was taken in direct taxation and put into our hospital system we would have no need for private health insurance. We would not need the profiteers selling people plans and pumping money onto families, and families paying over €3,000 a year in health premiums. We could have a system that would guarantee access to all and ensure that people like my constituent would not be fearful that if something were to happen they would not get the health treatment, and the system, they need. This Bill serves to highlight that inequity which, unfortunately, this Government wants to perpetuate and put on a statutory basis where everybody will be paying exorbitant amounts of money under so-called universal health insurance.

We should use the €1.9 billion in premiums and the existing health budget to ensure we have a system that is free at point of access for everybody, guarantees universal cover for everybody and ensures that people do not have to live in fear. It should ensure that if their health lets them down this State will care for them and not leave them languishing on waiting lists or trolleys in hospitals, reminding them that if only they could afford health insurance they could leap-frog the system and use that benefit money brings them to get treatment.

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