Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 3: To ask the Taoiseach the number of times that the Cabinet sub-Committee on Health has met; the members of this sub committee; and the regularity with which it is envisaged that this sub committee will meet. [17198/11]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together.

The Government has formally agreed to the establishment of a Cabinet committee on health. The members of the committee will be the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Minister and Minister of State at the Department of Health, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and I. Other Ministers, Ministers of State and the Attorney General may attend as required.

A group of senior officials drawn from the relevant Departments, co-ordinated and chaired by my Department, will support the work of the committee. The committee will determine its own work programme and working arrangements. I anticipate that it will hold its first meeting in the coming weeks.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Perhaps the information I was seeking was contained in the Taoiseach's answer but I missed it. Could the Taoiseach clarify the remit of the sub-committee? There is frustration over the fact that we can only ask how often such committees are allowed to meet and the identity of the members. We cannot ask about their work because of Cabinet confidentiality. I note from looking through the records that when the Taoiseach was in opposition, bhíodh sé ag tabhairt amach faoi sin agus bhíodh an ceart aige. He was giving out about Deputies not being able to obtain clarity on work delegated to committees. Are there any plans to change this?

Deputy Ó Caoláin and I have been raising pertinent issues concerning health but we cannot obtain clarity on the sub-committee on health because of the way the protocols work. Will the Taoiseach give us a notion of the committee's remit? Does he have plans, as part of his plans to reform the Dáil, to change the way the system works?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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It will not be discussing the football results anyway. The reason we established a sub-committee to deal with health is because the health area is so broad and complex that it would take up too much time to cover both social protection and health together so we established a separate sub-committee.

The remit of the sub-committee will be decided by it, but the Deputy can take it that by and large it will focus on the areas which, in so far as the programme for Government is concerned, refer to the health and well-being of the Irish people.

At its first meeting, the sub-committee will determine an agenda of work in this regard. On many occasions, the Minister for Health has pointed out his desire to change the structure to one where the delivery of a universal health insurance scheme can be introduced to end the two-tier system and provide a better quality health service for everybody in the country. In this general area, the sub-committee on health will decide on its work programme and matters concluded at the sub-committee will be brought to the Government for decision by the Minister.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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In recent weeks, Ministers have been quoted on the record giving briefings about proposals they are bringing to Cabinet sub-committees. For example, the Minister, Deputy O'Dowd, did an interview at the weekend where he told the country about proposals he had with regard to the sub-committee dealing with infrastructure and its agenda. This is fair enough and I hope restrictions will not be imposed on us discussing issues with regard to the Cabinet sub-committee on health if others are doing so. The Taoiseach stated he would deal with this issue, but so far he has failed to do so.

With regard to the sub-committee on health, the Taoiseach stated its first meeting will be in the coming weeks. I find it extraordinary that it has not met already given the very serious issues on the agenda, such as Roscommon, the junior doctor crisis, the fair deal issue, the row with the VHI and the firing of the board of the HSE. Has the sub-committee been presented with a detailed plan with regard to compulsory health insurance proposals? Has it been given an outline plan on this? Does such an outline plan exist with regard to this fundamental question that is in the programme for Government? It will fall due to be considered by the Cabinet sub-committee on health.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Martin is aware that the Government has established the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children which will also deal with a range of issues that are considered important and urgent. The sub-committee has not yet been given a detailed plan for health insurance. The sub-committee has not met. When it does meet, it will decide its agenda. As I pointed out to the Deputy, it will be serviced by senior officials, and named Ministers and others for whom it might be appropriate to attend will attend. On the first occasion the sub-committee meets, it will decide on a body of work and whatever relevant information is necessary to complete that body of work will be provided, including background information on health insurance schemes.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Does such a detailed plan exist to be put the sub-committee?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Government has a plan and programme for the development of universal health insurance, and over the period ahead work on that plan and its implementation will be a central focus of the Government in so far as health and the well-being of the people are concerned.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Will the Government publish this plan?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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We will announce the decisions as they are made in respect of the development of the plan.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Taoiseach stated a detailed plan exists for the implementation of compulsory health insurance. If it exists, will he publish it now?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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It is published in so far as the programme for Government is concerned.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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That is not a detailed plan.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, one of the central issues in respect of health is to introduce a universal health scheme over a period of years to change the structure from what we have to one which we believe has far more potential for better delivery of service to a higher standard for everybody in the country. This is where the work of the Government will be. As decisions are made they will be announced as part of the structure, strategy and progress to implement the programme.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Will the Taoiseach discuss at the health committee as urgently as possible the plans to close accident and emergency services at Loughlinstown and other hospitals and to revisit, reconsider and reverse these decisions and remove the huge anxiety and distress that people are facing as a result?

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Sorry Deputy, put the question. We are moving on.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Will the Taoiseach consider how the-----

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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We are not having a debate.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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------hospitals that will remain will be overrun-----

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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No, sit down please.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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These hospitals, which are already overrun, will be even more overrun if these accident and emergency units are closed.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Deputy Boyd Barrett is here long enough to know that he can raise this matter by way of parliamentary question-----

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Correct.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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-----or in an Adjournment debate if the Ceann Comhairle gives authorisation.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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Which I have already done.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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There are queues for both.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The agenda for the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children is determined by the Chairman of that committee. As the Deputy is also aware, any Deputy is entitled to attend at any committee he or she so wishes.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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What is in the programme for Government is setting out the objective, agenda and ideas on certain issues. There is no plan in the programme for Government on compulsory health insurance. For the record, will the Taoiseach clarify his previous answer? Does a detailed plan exist on the introduction of compulsory health insurance? If it exists, will the Taoiseach publish it?

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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If I recall correctly, the Deputy published approximately 900 documents in respect of the area of health.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am asking you about this scheme.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The plan as published in the programme for Government is to introduce a universal health insurance system in the country to end the two-tier system. The Government in its work ahead will give effect to this strategy. The Minister for Health has already indicated the timescale he envisages to achieve this and this is where the focus of the Government will be. The background work and detail will be decided upon by the Government as we make progress.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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There is no plan.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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There is.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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There is no plan.