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

As for the second issue on the ability of the Minister for Health to deal with the issue, I have outlined what he intends to do and, by any standards, what I have outlined is a serious programme of reform that addresses the issues. More than 44% of people in this country still have voluntary health insurance for which they pay.

If one looks at the numbers over the years, this is quite high. Looking at the numbers back to the late 1990s, for example, it is below the peak of 2008 but practically everything in this country is below the artificial peak of 2008 when the boom and bust economy finally burst.

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