Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the opportunity, along with Deputy Kelleher, to raise this issue. Deputy Kelleher has made a pristine case. The last speaker, a Government colleague of the Minister of State, was critical of the answers given to the House by the HSE and the Department of Health. That much was stated clearly on the record of the House. We do not get proper answers or proper governance from the Department of Health. The Minister, Deputy Reilly, should be present today to take these questions and should not send in a Minister of State who does not have responsibility for the matter. I welcome the Minister of State's presence, however, and I wish her well in her post.

This is out of control. I cannot believe the increase in charges, which have gone up by 120% to 130% in the past three years. Increases of 100% have been imposed by the VHI and other organisations. I note that there will be people attending the Joint Committee on Health and Children tomorrow to give answers, but what answers can they give us? It is pure sabotage and hijacking. The Minister has no credibility on this issue because he is one of those who negotiated rates for GPs. He cannot play two sides of the road, although he tries to do so all the time. What will happen is that people will die on the road. More than 2 million people have some kind of cover but this gives them less and less for more and more money. They cannot afford it. Ordinary middle-income families and even the reasonably well-paid cannot afford the cover. This puts pressure on public hospitals, with consequent queues and waiting lists, as was discussed in the previous topic in the debate.

We must change this. We cannot allow the companies to charge these exorbitant rates. I once stayed in a private hospital in Cork and had to travel about 600 yards in an ambulance. Deputy Kelleher would know the place well. I could have walked there but not back, as I was under anaesthetic. The ambulance charge was €600 to bring me less than half a mile - a rip-off. Rip-off Ireland is alive and well and this situation cannot continue. Ordinary people cannot get access to beds or anything else while this rip-off is going on. Consultants are getting too much pay and are using public beds and public equipment to treat their patients privately. The racket has to end. I thought the Minister would do something about this, but I reiterate that he has no credibility with regard to one of the groups concerned. He is not the man to do it. I hope some of his other colleagues will step up to the plate.

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