Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach's so-called fair care system and universal health insurance involves handing over inordinate power to private health insurers in our health service. When the Taoiseach produces his legislative proposals they will be hugely opposed by a substantial cohort of people in this country.

I have a short question. When the Cabinet sub-committee on health meets, does it meet on specific issues relating to the health service, or does it have an overall report in general at every meeting? I did not think the Minister for Social Protection, who is beside the Taoiseach, had become the Minister for Health now in an advisory capacity to the Taoiseach. At the next meeting of the committee, will the Taoiseach make a particular issue of the crisis in speech and language therapy for children? It is a huge issue on which we receive representations from distressed parents on a weekly basis. There are very serious issues with regard to the development of young children. Will the Taoiseach put that down as a matter of urgency for extra resources to ensure an immediate ending of the waiting lists?

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