Results 5,821-5,840 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I would appreciate an opportunity to respond, given that the other Deputies have been allowed to speak on this matter.

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: Yes, if possible.

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I move amendment No. 2: In page 4, line 36, to delete "enter into" and substitute "effect". I will deal with the issues raised and I will discuss my own amendments also. I do not say this, as I mentioned last night with regard to another matter, in a complaining way, but when the market was opened up, rightly, on foot of EU directives regarding other health insurers, the issue of the VHI...

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: All right. I misunderstood the Deputy and I apologise for that. However, that is certainly Deputy Reilly's position. The purpose of his amendment is that the provisions of this Bill should not take effect until such time as they are authorised. I can tell him that is impossible. It could not happen.

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I did not tell the Deputy that. I do know who set the level and I have known for years. It was set by the independent Financial Regulator. I wish to clarify this issue. The record of the proceedings on Committee Stage will show that this is an independent function of the regulator, who is not subject to any political influence. I have said on the record here and at committees that I...

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: These related amendments clarify an issue that was raised on Second and Committee Stages relating to contracts and the renewal of contracts. The definition of "effect" covers both entering into a contract and any renewal of a contract. The definition of "information return" is also provided. I appreciate the points made by Deputies opposite. The solvency ratio is determined by the...

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I agree with Deputy Reilly that it is unfair and uncompetitive if one company is obliged to put 40% of its premium towards its solvency requirements while another is not. That is why we have moved to introduce legislation to end that. Equally, however, if we did not extend the authorisation time from 1 January until September, the VHI would not have been authorised and would have gone...

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: When the VHI obtained a derogation from the European Union at the time of the opening up of the market, it did not have to meet the solvency requirements of its competitors. I am not certain whether the Competition Authority has ever been asked for an opinion on this. My view is that the situation certainly does not represent fair competition. We do not need the Competition Authority to...

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: That is correct.

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I do not disagree. It is unfortunate that the measure we are introducing was not taken years ago. I would be pleased if the Financial Regulator were to reduce the solvency requirement. While I do not normally criticise independent regulators, as I have stated publicly, the approach adopted here is incredibly conservative given that health insurance is much more predictable than other forms...

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: The issue cannot be addressed. A company regulated in the United Kingdom where I understand the solvency requirement is 25% or any other European country can do business here. As it happens, all the main competitors in the Irish health insurance market are regulated here and meet the 40% solvency requirement. I understand one of the companies in question had to meet a 50% requirement when...

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: While the solvency II directive will bring greater clarity and lower the solvency requirement level to between 20% and 30%, the timeframe for its implementation is 2012-13. As to the timeframe for the Commission's recent decision, we expected it to issue within three months of notification. We notified the Commission in October or November last but the decision was not issued until the past...

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: BUPA was regulated in the United Kingdom when it was doing business here. At the time, it operated under a solvency requirement of approximately 25% and made profits of 17%, an unheard of figure in health insurance. The company did incredibly well. I am stating a fact rather than criticising it as the company provided excellent competition. BUPA also initiated all the early legal action...

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I move amendment No. 3: In page 5, to delete lines 6 to 9 and substitute the following: "(b) by inserting the following definition after the definition of "day patient service": " 'effect', in relation to a health insurance contract or other agreement, means to enter into or renew such contract or agreement, as the case may be;".".

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I move amendment No. 4: In page 5, line 30, to delete "by inserting "7D, 7F," after "7B,"." and substitute "by substituting 6A(2), 7A, 7B, 7F" for "7A, 7B".". I am pleased to provide for the proposal that the relevant regulations be affirmed by the Houses of the Oireachtas.

Health Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: I move amendment No. 5: In page 5, between lines 39 and 40, to insert the following: " 'cumulative net financial impact', in relation to a registered undertaking or former registered undertaking which has furnished one or more information returns to the Authority in respect of a period, means the difference between— (a) the total amount of the age-related tax credits recorded in accounts...

Cancer Screening Programme. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: Approximately 2,000 new cases of colorectal cancer are diagnosed and around 950 deaths occur from this disease each year in Ireland. Due to our ageing population and the long period in people's lives over which risk factors are built up, we can expect an increase in the numbers of colorectal cancer cases in the coming years. The national cancer registry has projected that approximately...

Cancer Screening Programme. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: Deputy Reilly will have to become accustomed to the reality that not every new service or initiative can come with a new price tag. Given that additional moneys will not be available for health services for the foreseeable future, it is a question of reprioritising resources. The programme recommended to me had an upfront capital cost of €14 million but I want to see it done within...

Cancer Screening Programme. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: Every week a new priority is identified. Last week it was Crumlin and the previous week it was orthodontics. Everything has to be an exception or involve additional moneys. This is an important issue. The home kits will cost approximately €4.5 million but they is not the biggest element of the programme's cost. Between 75% and 80% of colonoscopies are performed within one month in...

Hospitals Building Programme. (1 Jul 2009)

Mary Harney: The Finance Act 2009 provides that the schemes of capital allowances for private hospitals and certain other health facilities will be terminated, subject to transitional arrangements for projects already in development. Provided that a co-located private hospital project conforms to the requirements of these transitional arrangements and otherwise satisfies the general requirements of the...