Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the reply by the Minister of State, but the difficulty is that people and families throughout the country simply cannot afford to continue to pay the increases. There have been alarming increases in the private health insurance market in recent years. While we welcome competition and the opening up of the market, something must done to address the issue of spiralling increases in the cost of health care and health insurance in this country, including dealing with consultant hospital contracts. In addition, the decision to charge full costs for private patients in public beds is increasing the cost of health insurance. That is clearly a policy decision. I ask the Minister of State to convey to the Minister the deep concern of many people about the escalating cost of private health cover for families.

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