Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is no impact on adults with health insurance policies costing under €1,000 gross. There is an impact above that figure. It does not have much of an impact on people with modest health insurance policies but impacts a little on people at the top. I do not disagree with the Deputy that people with health insurance and those on middle incomes are finding it hard to live. He should direct his attention towards the massive increases in costs by the health insurance companies. The cost has increased by 86% in four years. If the Deputy thinks I will automatically link with them and automatically subsidise them as they increase the cost further, that is not the case. We are capping the figure and it has been capped. We will not start to cap it at a lower rate in the next budget. I defend the policy decision taken. It was a very good one because we could not continue to ask the 56% of people who did not have private health insurance to subsidise through their taxes those who did.

See this speech in context