Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

It is a real concern for roughly half the population that will see an increase in their premiums depending on their provider. If the VHI increase of 7% is mirrored by others, it will be of real significance for those families. We must be careful to make sure we protect everyone's living and health as we manage that.

My understanding is that the main reason for this is a huge increase in demand, similar to many other areas in the healthcare system. One statistic jumped out at me. Attendance at emergency care by those over 75 since pre-Covid times has increased by something by like 23%. That is one example of a very significant increase in demand for healthcare. This is something we must manage by resourcing our healthcare system through the Sláintecare programme and investment in public health so that people are guaranteed a high level of health service.

Deputy Bacik and I would have a similar position on the left in terms of the benefit of public investment and public services, particularly public healthcare. I have a slight concern that if we on the left are forever talking down what our public health service actually delivers, that might sap public confidence in what is actually happening. The truth is that since 2000, we have employed, I think, an extra 26,000 people in the health service. This is not insignificant. The other truth is that the outcome is starting to be seen in significant improvements in our health service. I know it is never perfect. We can never be satisfied, particularly in the area of disability and some of the discrimination mentioned by the Deputy between those in the section 38 sector and those in the HSE. I accept that point but the Deputy should similarly accept basic facts. In the past ten to 15 years, our life expectancy as a country increased by five years. That is phenomenal. Each of us is living five years longer because of the quality of our health service among other things. That is the ultimate test and we are not failing. I read with interest an article by David McWilliams in The Irish Timesat the weekend. It was a very good article and I agree with a lot of his commentary but was slightly worried about one thing I read. A particular risk for the left is if we are forever talking down our strengths as a country regarding what we do provide in our health system. If you are sick in this country, ask any doctor about where you want to be. You want to be in a public ward in our hospitals because for all its failings - warts and all - we have one of the best health systems in the world. We have massively increased spending and staffing. Over the past two years, waiting times have been falling. That is the reality and we on the left should celebrate that as well as being critical of where there are problems in the system.

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