Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

-----to make a political point.

Let us be clear about what I am saying. There are issues the insurance companies need to address. There are issues relating to their cost base and there are issues relating to the very high level of other charges that are charged to the insurance companies, including hospital charges, charges by professionals, etc., which need to be addressed. Anybody who has got a bill from a health insurance company knows that well.

I disagree with my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, that Deputy Martin's reading has improved - it has not. On 15 February, the Minister, Deputy Reilly, published a paper, The Path to Universal Healthcare: A Preliminary Paper on Universal Health Insurance. Contrary to the claim the Deputy just made-----

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