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

The Minister is totally inconsistent when it comes to private health insurance, in what he said two years ago and what he has done since he took office. Families are under huge pressure to pay and retain private health insurance. When the Minister brought forward the Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill last November he said that the lower plans would not be rated at the high rating of risk equalisation but when it came to the passage of the Bill all plans were rated at the high rating. That went against what the Minister had said on Second Stage. It has already had an impact on people's ability to retain private health insurance.

The Minister talks about universal health insurance and all that will flow from that. His policies to date are driving people out of private health insurance and forcing more people into the public hospital system which is against everything that he stated previously. Would he please explain why all plans were rated at the higher level in view of the fact that he said they would not be and the Health Information Authority also recommended that 47 plans should be on the lower rate?

See this speech in context