Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

If I was convinced this was for the gold-plated policies, I would be persuaded to support it, but I am not persuaded of that. We all know the cost of premia, and €1,000 is not a large figure for an adult and €500 is not large for a child. Most people will have budgeted for the year. As was said, if somebody has just taken out a premium in the last month, will they be impacted by this? If this is the case where people have already made decisions, it is unfair and this almost becomes a retrospective adjustment for them.

With regard to the packages which include free cover for children, the cost for the adult is increased in such packages so it is not easy to simply break down costs to €1,000 or €500. The packages are being offered to make them family-friendly, if one likes, but there is a pick-up on the adult side.

A large number of the people I come across should not have private health insurance at all but they have it because they do not have confidence they will be looked after in the public system. That is the origin of many of these policies that people are trying to keep on the go, even though they really cannot afford them.

The cost on the other side has already been alluded to, and I believe there will be a cost. The more people who drop out, the more dependence there is on the public system which, as we know, is creaking in many respects. One wonders if it will be able to bear the extra load if many people drop out because of this, given there are many who are tinkering on the edge and wondering whether they can afford insurance. For many people, this may be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

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