James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

The Deputy has asked a number of questions. We all understand that nothing is free and that somebody must pay. However, we are discussing making something free at the point of delivery so that no one need be concerned about being able to pay. I hope all sides of the House agree on this point. We do not want a situation in which someone must make a decision between attending a doctor or paying an ESB bill.

Regarding the Deputy's contentions on the health insurance market, 46,000 people have left the insurance market since the end of March 2007 to the end of March of this year. This is a modest decline in private health insurance coverage, 2% of the overall market. Some 2.139 million people, 46.6% of the population, are still covered by private health insurance.

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